My Writing Process on Display

Now that I’ve just completed (yes, completed!, for now… the revision to my short story and sent it in to the editor—two days ahead of deadline—I’ve come to recognize the patterns in my writing process. Each time it seems new, the struggle. But I need to get myself used to it because it always will [...]

Revision Nightmare

I woke but did not want to be awake. Then asleep again I was dreaming of the revision to the story—what changes have been asked for, what is wanted—and the words were moving blobs coming from my fingers; they did not want to set down on the page because I didn’t want them to be [...]

Week in Review

Two deadlines were met with little fanfare on Monday—what, do I expect a Godiva truffle every time I do what I say I’m going to?—and then, because the Universe thinks it’s being funny, either that or it’s cruel (I don’t mean it, Universe; I’m only teasing), two unexpected projects were thrown my way, on top [...]

Chop-Chop-Chop

This weekend was spent racing toward two deadlines. They were both met by Sunday afternoon, and by then I was spent. I didn’t get a chance to work on the revision to my story, due now in about a week. I couldn’t face it just yet, if you want the truth—I’ve gotten used to being [...]

Today

Today, August 19, is a very important day. It is the day my little sister was born. I saw her come out—literally; I was there in the room during her home birth—and I have loved her even before she opened her eyes. She’s incredible: smart, wise, creative, talented, sweet, of course I’ll say she’s beautiful, [...]

Glug-Glug (That’s the Sound of Me Drowning)

This morning I successfully awoke when the alarm went off, and I successfully stayed awake in the crucial minutes immediately after when I am tempted, oh so tempted, to stumble into the living room and collapse for a quickie morning nap on the couch. I stayed awake, I think because reality was pulling on my [...]

Furusturation

I made up that word.
Oh, the life of a freelance writer who’s fitting in these hacked-out words on the exhausted outskirts of her day job. Oh, I wish she was more prolific and had finished at least one of the projects due Monday, but no. It is 6:15 pm Friday as I write this. The [...]

Days Lost, But I Don’t (Really) Miss Them

I lost a few days there—not a peep of a post—and really not too many things of interest happened. I was busy and don’t remember much. Now here I am, Thursday night, with two deadlines on Monday, plus thinking long-term about everything else, and I’m tired. I went out to lunch with someone I really [...]

Battle Royale

I am up against a tough one. She wants to do what she wants to do only when she wants to do it, and I can’t force her to do anything different. If she doesn’t want to work on this chapter right now, she is not going to work on the chapter. And putting her [...]

Places to Write in New York City

So, yes, I’m a member of a writing space where I do most of my writing on weekends. My apartment is a dark, cramped cave and the only time I was ever able to write inside it was when I first picked up the keys and sat on the floor of the empty living room [...]

Why I Suspect That the Barista Forgot to Put the Shot of Espresso in My Iced Mocha This Morning

It did taste awfully sweeter than usual.
I am so tired I almost—almost!—took a nap on the couch beside the window, but the slap-slap-slap-slap of another writer’s flip-flops kept me from drifting off.
My head is full of cotton and nothing is coming out. The page is blank. Oh, I have typed in one adverb.
I am wary [...]

(Put This in Parentheses)

I was working. Then I opened another window and started typing. A short story is starting. Sometimes you can’t help yourself. It’s like slipping that tiny bit of chocolate in your mouth when no one is around to see. Except now I’ve told you. Pretend you don’t know that I’m cheating on my deadlines, okay?

Chapter 1, We Meet Again

I am about to start writing the YA novel due in September (though it may be extended to October 2). Anyway, the outline has been returned to me with notes, all of which seem doable, and I have a new document all open and ready. The title is typed in (one word; starts with a [...]

Slammed (adj.)

slammed, as defined specific to my high-pace, yet dead-end, job for a giant corporation of a book publisher that does not give Christmas bonuses and therefore does not deserve such dedication:
When you have too much work to eat or pee or answer the telephone, let alone chat with people who are not in the same [...]

Apparently I’m Funny Now

In grad school I recall being envious of some of the other writers in my workshops—they could be so funny. And funny writing gets an immediate response: you laugh; thus it’s good. My kind of writing doesn’t really make you laugh. Get a little lost, feel a little uncomfortable, say oh that’s pretty, maybe. But [...]

A Deadline of My Own

The advice on my last post was really helpful—thank you. I spent last night seeking out fellowships and residencies to apply to this year (I still think of “years” as I did when I was in school… and I made up a nice list for myself in iCal. The first deadline is in September. I [...]

Overwhelmed and Under a Ton of Bricks

Last night, I was thinking of all the things I need to do: all the writing projects I want to finish and/or start and/or at least pay a little attention to, but I have this freelance work to keep me busy at the very least through October 15. Not to mention normal life, which sweeps [...]

It’s Over (for now)

It’s Sunday afternoon and I sent in the manuscript that’s been killing me slowly all weekend. It’s now out of my hands, at least until I get the notes back and need to do a revision. One of many probable revisions, I have been warned. I feel like I’ve been tied to the back of [...]

Congratulations, Helen!

I just visited Helen’s blog and found some wonderful news. Her science fiction novel won the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Frustrated Writers’ Mentoring Program competition. I’m so excited, it’s like I won something. Congrats, Helen!

Rage, a Normal Part of My Process?

I’m beginning to think that what I’ll call the “I HATE THIS” stage is a normal part of my writing process. After I got home, and after spewing out that venomous post below, I realized that this happens every time I write a freelance project. I get mad. Very, very mad. I despise the words [...]