First, I am not crazy. Well, not that way. I've finished four manuscripts; all have finaled or won in several contests. I've sent out a dozen queries, maybe more, thanks to Laura Drake. The two books I thought were most salable, have been requested and sent to a handful of agents and editors in New York. […]

I love fortune cookies. From cracking them open, to pulling out the slip of paper, to reading the fortune, to eating the sweet crunchy thing—I love everything about them. I always smile when I find saved fortunes (a recent "found" cache led to this post) whenever I go through an old purse or drawers in my […]

“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."  E.L. Doctorow Y'all know I have process envy, right? I think most of us do. I always thought I'd be a plotter. I loved outlines so much that […]

Years ago, an instructor at the UCI Writing Project taught me how to identify the "golden lines" in a lesson, article, or book. Golden lines are the phrases, the ideas, the "takeaway" from whatever you're learning in life. Since then, after I attend a class or workshop, I review my notes and handouts, marking the golden lines. With […]

Writing. Life. We all wind down--or unwind--during the summer. To stay fresh as writers, we need to plug in and recharge. It's possible to recharge while you're busy doing other things, just like you recharge your cell phone while you're driving. You can also recharge while you relax, much like a trickle charger for your […]