A Day of Books, Stories, More Books, More Stories, and Long Lines (AWP Day 1)

I’ve been at the AWP conference all day. So many writers. So many choices. Such narrow escalators. Book-fair tables for miles. Only three stalls in each women’s bathroom, talk about lines! Let’s just say it’s been a jam-packed day.
The first panel I attended was “Shaping a Short Story Collection”—first thing in the morning, in a [...]

Three Days Off, Lots to Do

Tomorrow morning I will be getting up early, as usual, taking the F train uptown, as usual, sneak-reading some pages of my book while hanging one-handed on a pole, as usual, getting out at my usual stop, just a few blocks away from the office and…
Not going to the office.
Instead I’m going to the annual [...]

Tired. Behind.

…But excited for AWP!
I’ll try to be more coherent later.

Website Update

I have a website that is not this blog. It’s called novaren.com and was made for me by my awesome other half (I especially love the pale blue stars in the background). I used to not link to it from here, but I have for many months now, so I suppose it’s no secret.
I know [...]

A Creative Existence in the Cracks and Corners of Real Life

I have the day job blues. A coworker and I were talking about that fantasy of one day being able to write full-time—maybe you’ll be able to do it soon, I told him. Maybe you’ll be able to do it soon, he told me. But I know I won’t be able to do any such [...]

Happiness on the Elevator

Shocker realization of the day while standing in empty elevator: I am not happy. Though who am I to assume I should be happy, to walk around thinking happiness is attainable. What a privileged existence to consider such a thing as mine for the taking. It’s foolish to expect it. Ridiculous. Absurd. The end. Doors [...]

Now You See Them, Now You Don’t

I’m afraid I might be a lazy writer when it comes to character descriptions. In my own fiction, I usually do the large brushstrokes only: dark hair, dark eyes, the hands in a gesture, the mouth if it matters, just a few telling details are all I need—so I convince myself. Maybe I just don’t [...]

Confessions of an Eavesdropper

I am the person sitting at the table beside you, listening to you talk. I might be gazing down at my plate or into my steaming cup of mint tea, but really I’m committing your words to memory. In a few moments I’ll find an excuse to look up around the room. My gaze will [...]

The Writing Meme

I couldn’t help myself. Here’s the meme seen on Charlotte’s Web and Writing Under a Pseudonym:
What’s the last thing you wrote?
For an assignment: a movie tie-in is keeping me in shape this weekend. Don’t laugh—this thing pays almost twice as much as my raise at work for the entire year, and it will take a [...]

Drizzles

Oh I had a tough morning. The morning before the morning—when it matters, when it counts—I did get a decent start on the novel due in March, so that was good. Then I got to work and, I don’t know, the world shifted. No stormclouds, just drizzle I guess. My mood turned all drizzly. I [...]

Write Away

Famous Writer I Admire So Very Much smiled at me as I came in today.
Does this matter? Can’t I write on a day when Famous Writer doesn’t smile at me? Well, of course I can. But sometimes it’s nice to think that I’m here writing, and she’s here writing, and we’re both just, I don’t [...]

In the Land Where I Am a Writer

I live in two places. In one, I am responsible and go to work every day I’m supposed to and pay the rent on time and everything. I even went to work on Friday, when I was feeling sick.
In the other place, I am not so responsible. The only thing I do there is write. [...]

Unremarkable

The results of my MRI are in:

I have a completely unremarkable brain. Or at least the exam was unremarkable.
This is good, of course, and I am relieved. Though some of my health issues are still mysteries… It’s the language they use that amuses me—unremarkable. It sort of sticks in me. A sore spot in my, [...]

Vote for Me

I discovered today that I can’t vote in the presidential primary next month. I’m not a registered member of any political party. And it’s too late for me to join the Democratic party so I can vote in time for this election due to rules I don’t understand, such as:
You can change your party affiliation [...]

Alone with Only My Thoughts

It was an eventful day.
An intensely early writing morning was cut short by the most enormous cockroach I have ever seen in my life. The most enormous cockroach I have ever seen in my life was happily scuttling on the cafe floor beneath the tables—even the tough guy beside me semi-squealed—so I had to finish [...]

Good Morning, Rejection

I woke up far earlier in the morning and blearily checked my email only to find a rejection from one of my favorite literary magazines. I promptly went back to sleep.
But I forced myself up again. I have the best of intentions to write—and write hard—today. So far so good. I try to trick myself [...]

Lukewarm

Oh, what I wouldn’t give for psychic abilities. I don’t have to read minds. I don’t have to predict natural disasters (though that could sure help). I’d just like a little hint of what’s to come in the future, like a hot potato game with time. I could be leaning in one direction and my [...]

Distractions of 2007, Desires for 2008

I was solidly distracted throughout 2007. But when I look back I can also see I was pretty tenacious.
In January of 2007 I was just as busy as I am now. But I still found time to goof off and to blindly plead with the world for assistance. (Still waiting for answers, btw… February found me [...]