“Write what you know,” they say. Well, the protagonist in one of my WIPs (works-in-progress, and yes, plural, because doesn’t everyone work on multiple novels at the same time? No? Hmmm…) is a committed lone wolf caught up in a controversy he’s not interested in being caught up in. There are bad guys. Missing friends. […]
writer's life
Aliens, Cows, and Story Ideas
A friend recently told a group of us that the county I live in, out here in eastern Colorado, was a hot-spot for crop circles and cattle mutilation back in the 1970s. Let me tell you, nothing derails a perfectly mundane writers’ discussion about passive voice like UFOs. “You mean, seriously? Or were they hoaxes?” […]
A Book-Lover’s Birthday in New York City
A few weeks ago, a dear friend of mine and I decided the sting of our March birthdays could be made more bearable by celebrating them in New York City. We were right. We’d originally decided to go because one of our favorite playwrights, Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia, Shakespeare in Love, […]
Ten Things Writers Never Want to Hear
My admin can type really fast, so we don’t need to hire a writer. I have a great idea for a book based on my life growing up as a middle child in an average family. Will you write it for me? I just got fired, so instead of looking for a new job, I’m […]
Touching Down in a Foreign Land (Flamingo International Airport, Bonaire)
To step onto land unfamiliar is to invoke a kind of magic. It’s a magic of expansion—of the mind, of the spirit, of the air in my lungs too long compressed by stillness. It’s a magic of discovery, of anticipation. It’s a magic of hope. As I step onto that land, I pause, feeling for […]
Cowboy Storytellers Weave Magic
What’s better than an old cowboy telling stories? Two old cowboys egging each other on! In October, I was in Oklahoma City to speak at the Women Writing the West conference. One of the best parts of the WWW conferences is the field trips they include, usually to museums or art galleries that dive into […]
