Personal Disclaimer

I wonder if I should walk around during the day wearing a sign that says:
I don’t really feel like talking.
Topics I do not want to talk about include: my writing, your writing, writing in the past, writing in the future, my progress with my outline, the beautiful state of California, lunch and what to eat [...]

My Painfully Slow Progress

I am plotting out my book in great detail, scene by scene by scene, a method I’ve only really used for work-for-hire novels (because I had to, under the contract), but I guess for my own stuff it could be helpful, too. I don’t have to stick to it exactly when I’m writing… But as [...]

Books and Unicorns

Reading is such a personal vocation for me—revealing what I really think about a book feels like flashing my underwear—which I guess is why I don’t do book reviews here. I finished a book I had a love/semi-annoyed relationship with recently and thought of posting about it, then didn’t. Maybe I’m afraid I can’t be [...]

5 Unusual Things

Annika tagged me to reveal 5 unusual things about myself and I am having a hard time thinking of any! I must be more normal than I realized. I may have revealed some possibly unusual secrets here, but I’ll try to think of some new ones.
1. I hate donuts. Now, I’m sure there are lots [...]

What HAS Happened: I’m Publishing a Book!

Below I expunged all the things that haven’t come my way lately, and do you know why? Because things were brewing for reals and I am—no joke—about to tell you some good news that I was hinting at before:
I just got a formal offer on my first original tween novel from Simon & Schuster!
It’s not [...]

Make-Believe: My Day as a Full-Time Writer

It occurred to me this morning, while heading out to my usual weekend spot on a day that happens to not be a weekend, that it’s almost like I’m a real writer just for the day. I know my definition of being a “real” writer changes depending on my mood—a “literary” writer, a “successful” writer, [...]

Alone Time

There’s this quirk in my personality: I desperately need time alone.
Sometimes this desire—this need—gets exacerbated by daily existence here on the bustling island of Manhattan: partiers in the apartments just below and above us, commuting on the subway, work, and, like this weekend, a sold-out showing of a very long movie at the big theater [...]

All the Things I Just Don’t Know

The AWP conference (see the last three entries) was a real jolt to me—in a good way. I felt inspired and energetic, after recovering from my physical exhaustion of course.
But Monday morning, my first day back at work, was also a jolt. I had a nightmare early in the morning that I was about to [...]

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 [...]

One Long Sentence

This was a year in which I expected big things of myself, but if I look back on all my outlandish goals set out so innocently in my iCal I can see that in actuality 2007 was the year I…
did not end up applying for the PhD
again,
even though I kept track of deadlines
and GRE registration [...]

This Year’s Recycled Wisdom: Writing Is Hard

It’s so close to the end of the year, I can reach out and touch it. I feel like I should update my About Me—there’s something a little giddy about that list, blasé, that doesn’t feel like me any longer as I peer ahead into 2008. Also it’s out-of-date. A decision to rewrite a certain [...]

Vent

vent /vɛnt/ (noun)
1. an opening, as in a wall, serving as an outlet for air, smoke, fumes, or the like. 2. an opening at the earth’s surface from which volcanic material, as lava, steam, or gas, is emitted. 3. Zoology. the anal or [...]

About My Lack of People Skills and My Propensity to Lose Gloves

I lost my gloves Friday. They were a mismatched pair, gone from my pockets somewhere near Rockefeller Center. One was from this pair, one from another pair entirely. I think it was while at lunch with two people I used to work with—I felt uncomfortable with myself, and this was before I lost the gloves. [...]

Adjusting My Goals

I’m not going to finish NaNoWriMo by tomorrow—my word count is hovering around 40,000. That’s a far cry from 50,000. I’ve had to put the manuscript aside to meet some deadlines, applications and otherwise, and I have a sample due Monday and an outline for a new project due next Friday. Today I am meeting [...]

Disclaimer

It’s November 19, nighttime, which leaves me a .03% chance of writing anything before bed. I am going away for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. I have 26,526 words. And I just agreed to a project (deadline forthcoming) and to write a sample chapter for something else. (We need money to move.) And I’ve been sleeping late.
I [...]

Behind, But No Matter

I’m somewhat behind. But this morning I think I came to a good stride. I finally got out some words that gave me my high, so as of now, even if I don’t reach 50,000, it doesn’t matter.
Silly confession to follow:
I felt a tad ill on Thursday. I was at work and noticed that my [...]

Flat

I’m sorry, but the writing is just really flat. I’m not sure how to get around this—keep blasting through? take a moment to think? (when? during work? on the subway? at night when I am too tired to move? between headaches?) start over? again? delve deep into my character, much-needed, get through to who she [...]

My Novel Has Multiple Personalities

I’m afraid it’s a serious disorder—I only realized how serious yesterday. As you can imagine, I was so dismayed that I packed up my stuff and skulked off to the day job in defeat. Brilliant reaction.
Your comments were right, though. I can’t give up. What is it, NaNoWriMo Day 8?
But what to do when the [...]

What You Love

It would never have occurred to me, years after graduating college, that the place would mean as much to me as it does now. College was good, sure, but I had always thought that graduate school was where my real-life happiness began, where I wrote fiction full-time, where I edited the journal, when e came [...]

Some NaNoWriMo Confessions

Full disclosure:

I do not know if I can do this.
But I’m doing it anyway!
I do not have an outline beyond the first chapter, and ideas for two more chapters scribbled in a notebook while I was preoccupied here.
So I will have to wing it.
Which is daunting.
And exhilarating.
And possibly possible?

I’ll stop there because I don’t like [...]