The Void

You must feed the void or it will feed on you. That is what writing is. It is standing on a precipice, staring into an endless hole with no guarantee, no possibility really, that you will ever be able to fill it up. And while the void is deep enough already, if you wait, if …

Day Jobs

I have a full time job and then some. It has been about eight weeks since I took the position after completing my MFA degree in Creative Writing. And I now no longer have time to write everyday. It is often frustrating, probably adds to some of my sleep issues and exhaustion, but I will …

New Year New Reads

Happy 2015! I’m sure everyone plans to read more this year (don’t know that we will, but it’s nice to dream) and I have my first suggestions. My friend Daniela has just translated her debut novel into English, and it’s available for digital download on amazon.com. If you love fantasy (and a good deal) try a …

National Book Festival 2014

The National Book Festival was today in DC. I attended for the second year in a row. Perhaps it was more apparent this year, as the venue was indoors rather than out on the national mall, but the festival was incredibly well attended. I sat through four packed presentations and spent the rest of my …

Collaboration

Yesterday a play I wrote received a staged reading.  Something to know about me is I’m a little bit shy.  I write because I love it, but I also find it an easier and more enjoyable form of communication than talking.  However, when working with dramatic writing forms, rather than short fiction or novels, there is …

Thinking Tools

When I write (usually long hand, I type later) I like to have one thing other than a pen and paper.  For those long minutes when I actually have to stop and think between pages about what to do next I need a ball of some kind. Usually I have a baseball or a Spaldeen, …

Women in Fiction

Yesterday was International Women’s Day.  March is also Read a Book Month.  In honor of both those occasions I’ve compiled a small (and thus incomplete) list of awesome women and girls in fiction.  Who did I miss? In no particular order: 1- Hermione Granger – Harry Potter 2- Katniss Everdeen – The Hunger Games 3- Lyra Belacqua …

Interview Skills

I gave my first in person interview a two weeks ago and today it came out in print. I didn’t say anything terribly embarrassing and I don’t look like a crazy person in the picture, so overall, it was a success. However, I can now honestly say there are few things more terrifying than a …