I love that so many cultures celebrate light during the darkest days of winter. We string up electric lights, snuggle near fireplaces, and gather around the hearth to share food, drink, and stories of our experiences. A few years ago, I realized that people often overlook the darkness surrounding them in the colder months, and … Continue reading A Season of Light, A Season of Darkness
Before I can really dive into the plot of a new project, I usually need to map out the relationship between the hero and heroine. Once I have a handle on what obstacles they’re facing, the very compelling reasons they have to surmount those obstacles, and how and when they’re going to overcome them, the … Continue reading Starting with Love
When I wonder what to work on next, I usually look to my characters for the answer. Which of them is in the worst state right now? Who is enduring the most emotional turmoil? Is anyone in mortal danger? What I'm really asking is, who has the most at stake? At the moment, I have … Continue reading Those We Love
When I write, I don’t feel as if I’m creating something. I’m getting something down on the paper instead. My brain produces a constant stream of movies set in my own worlds and populated with people born from my subconscious. Often, I do control them, like playing with dolls as a child (though I was … Continue reading Creative Connection
Authors with a passion for words will hone their craft; whether they use research, workshops, critique groups, or the most important means – practice! There are many tools for becoming a better wordsmith. One of the most important methods for me has been helping and receiving help from other writers. Maybe one writer I know … Continue reading Writers Helping Writers
Recently, I noticed that most of my friends are radically different people. They have different hobbies, different beliefs, different backgrounds, different values, even. But when they get together in a room, everyone is kind to each other beyond simple manners. I’ve often wondered what it is that makes them gel, and finally think I’ve found … Continue reading Stories
When I’m looking at a blank page, my inner critic likes to remind me that I haven’t published yet, and there’s every chance no one will ever see the words I’m about to put on the page. Writing is hard work, especially when I’m going through the entire process of finishing a novel, editing it, … Continue reading Why Write
