Category: Uncategorized
Gold and Lantern
Prompt: Why hasn’t anyone written a “Christmas” rom-com about a lonely Jewish widow and the Chinese restaurant owner who serves her every year but is too shy to reveal his feelings?
Well. Now I have!
My First Convention as an Author
Ever wonder what it’s like to attend a comic convention on the OTHER side of the table? Here’s what I learned selling books at my first convention.
Pantheon Release – One Year as a Published Novelist
One year as a published novelist and I have published two books plus a chapter in an anthology. Not too shabby for someone who considered the publishing of their first book a fluke.
My Father Died Today
My Father died today. I’m not sure if I killed him or if he took his own life by a suicide that took nearly thirty years.
Everyone holds an idea of what a father should be in their heart and mind. Some are fortunate enough to get it, but everyone else is left scrambling. What is fatherhood? What makes a man? What does it mean to be a father? What does it mean to support another’s life until they can function as an adult?
What Drives You? Pain.
It takes a lot to write a novel and I write my own pain into my work. As I said recently, it’s been a long week and you’re getting the darker side of my writing these days. Why? Because this blog sometimes functions as my diary and repository of all my thoughts. Unfortunately for you, its been a tough week. So, enjoy what is probably fiction; maybe its not. Either way, this has rattled around in my brain since Thursday.
Confessions from the Trail: After the Race
After the Race: My twentieth and, likely, the final post in the Confessions from the Trail series! I started this series as a way to pull back the curtain and show people a sport that many will never even attempt. It’s been a long road and I’ve enjoyed having a platform to talk about a sport I love. But now the race is run and it’s time to close this series out by answering one last question: “What do you do after the race?”
Confessions from the Trail: Training and the COVID Rollercoaster
Confession from the Trail: Training and the COVID Rollercoaster
I just plain have terrible luck with Valentine’s Day. It should come as no surprise that Valentine’s Day 2021 started as a trail run and ended in the ER.
Confessions from the Trail: Failure and the Doldrums
Confession from the Trail: Failure and the Doldrums
Hello and welcome to the doldrums. With only five weeks to go until the Mississippi 50, I’ve hit that horrible intersection of “I’ve come so far” and “I still have so far to go.”
Build Your Plot – My Index Card Method
Build plot on index cards! Let’s be honest, the “here’s how I constructed this plot” blog post is the writing blogger’s equivalent to the beauty blogger’s ubiquitous “my daily skincare routine!” post. Like, sis, no one asked, but ok, I’ll watch. Why? Because it’s at least mildly interesting to see what other writers (or beauty bloggers) do differently from our own techniques and it’s great to learn someone else’s best practices. Maybe you’ll find something new you love.
Pantheon Release – Three Months as a Published Novelist
In my one month update, I talked about misconceptions I had and the realities I faced: not everyone is an overnight success, it does not mean instant popularity across social media, the hustle is both real and necessary, and I am not instantly or fabulously wealthy. But after three months, I’m starting to see the intangible wins and working on setting my goals for 2021.