Revision can be painful. Digging into the words you put so much effort into writing, not to mention deciding which of them need to go, can overwhelm a writer with fear. Which words do I cut? Filter words? Entire paragraphs? Scenes, even? What if cutting this particular scene is wrong? What if it changes the [...]
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A Brief History of a Perpetual Misfit
I'm hoping to participate in the very selective #PitchWars process this year and potential mentees are encouraged to share a little bit about themselves on their blogs in what is affectionately coined #PimpMyBio. For those of you who know me, most of this information probably isn't new. For those of you who don't, welcome! Fun [...]
On Work and Effort
I’ll admit that I’ve been slacking a bit when it comes to blogging (for the obvious reasons), but as I’ve scrolled through my Twitter feed, I’ve seen a lot of my writer friends elated either because they are about to send out their very first query letter or because they’ve received their very first rejection [...]
A Beautiful Sight
I watched the sunrise with my best friend yesterday. From the thirteenth floor, caged balcony of a Philadelphia hospital, we braved the early morning chill and watched the sun slowly bathe the buildings around us in a golden glow that made even Philadelphia look almost serene. (Almost.) A Bryce Canyon sunrise, it was not, but [...]
Life Lessons in Patience
It should be me. That’s all I can think as I sit in this hospital room, watching my husband snore softly as he recovers from an invasive surgery that left him with no spleen, no gallbladder, lost lymph nodes, and half a pancreas. Why would I think this? Because I’m the one who always imagines [...]
These Boots Are Made For Walking
Let’s talk shoes. What? That’s not related to writing? Of course it is! Bear with me. I love shoes. I know what you’re thinking already, but trust me when I say you’ve got it all wrong. To clarify, I love a single pair of shoes. So what are they? Pretty little red ballet flats? Sexy [...]
If a Writer Logs On
If a writer logs on, she’ll want to check her email before she starts working. When she checks her email, she’ll see she someone tagged her on Facebook. She’ll log into Facebook, and see she has three messages. When she checks her messages, she’ll notice one of them is from a writer friend. When she [...]
Tweet On
Once upon a time, writing was really a very solitary activity. Writers would hole up in a room by themselves, channel their inner muse (and hope that she showed up), and tap away on their typewriter (or - GASP - word processor) until a finished manuscript managed to produce itself. This was before the time [...]
Plot Twist
My family has been dealt a bit of a blow this week. (In a book, one might call this a plot twist. Lord knows I never saw this coming…) I thought I’d share our recent experience here, in case I drop off the grid for a while. (Hopefully I won’t, but you really can’t tell [...]
Book Buddies
It probably goes without saying, but I love books. And if you’re a writer, it’s a good bet that you do, too. It’s hard for me to keep up with the constant stream of fantastic new releases, so I leave that job up to my friend Shanah, the Bionic Book Worm. If you haven’t checked [...]
L. Ryan Storms 