One Last Bite

My other half, who knows me better than I know myself, has pointed out that I have this quirk while eating—cute? wasteful? just plain annoying?—in which I never finish what is on my plate. I always leave a piece of lettuce, a fallen bit of broccoli, one last bite. It’s just something I do, I [...]

Story Salvaged, Workshop Awaits

The story found its way—I feel sure that the revision I ultimately came to is far better than what I lost when my computer died and ate it. Does that mean my computer was meant to die and eat the story so I could write an even better one? Let’s hope not. I don’t want [...]

More About Short Stories? Always

I admitted before to my near-obsession with short stories. Now I just randomly happened upon this thread about stories that “blew you away” on the Poets & Writers Speakeasy (I think you have to sign in to read it). There are so many stories mentioned that I haven’t even read!
But this comment about children’s books [...]

How Many Stories in One Story?

In an hour of desperation, I caved and just wrote a new first paragraph.
It is entirely different from the paragraph I lost. Unrecognizable! It takes the story in a whole other direction, opening up new worlds and possibilities, or at least sentences to have on page 1, which (this is just how I write) will [...]

My Civic Duty and How It Involves Dim Sum

Jury Duty in Manhattan isn’t all hardship. The courthouse I was in today was steps away from Chinatown, which to my mind means one thing and one thing only: vegetarian dim sum! (How could I not take advantage during lunch break and search out the place I always have trouble finding in order to have [...]

After Revision

I turned in the revision yesterday morning before work. The weekend was spent doing only that; on Sunday I think I worked at it for 11+ hours. There were moments when I felt sure I couldn’t finish, but somehow I did finish, looking back I don’t know how. Then, after it was all over, I [...]

Honestly

I really have no idea how I will manage to finish this revision today, honestly.

Finish It Already

“Have a good writing day,” e said to me at the door this morning. “Now finish it already, goddamn it!”
The “it” that has taken residence in the apartment, larger in the room than the largest elephant, is of course the revision.
It is a hurdle to write something you don’t want to write anymore, made worse [...]

Here I Am Still Revising

Happy Earth Day. Happy Passover. Happy Spring. What day is it again? I am still revising. I am mad-scramble revising, push-it-till-you-drop revising. Can’t-even-form-a-proper-sentence revising. Stop-staring-at-me-from-across-the-room I’m revising. Revising so this can be over. Revising so I don’t take on another freelance assignment like this again. Revising, revising, revising until words have no meaning. When I [...]

The Revisions Are Coming, the Revisions Are Coming!

You heard right: the revisions on my last work-for-hire manuscript are coming my way. They will be messengered to me tomorrow. Sounds daunting that they must be messengered rather than emailed, no? I’ve also been warned I have to cut 7,000 words.
Guess what I’ll be doing all weekend?

Loving It

Sometimes you have these moments when you’re well in it. You’re carving your sentences into these perfect shapes, you hit a new word, and BAM, all is exposed. Your character is sitting across the table from you—she loves where you’re taking her. She even winks. You read over what you have so far and your [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

5 Writing Strengths, Minus 1

I have to take #1 back.
I said I could handle revision. I cannot. I can handle revision only when I am facing my own notes or only when I don’t care so much anymore, which takes time, loads and loads of time. In order to handle revision, I need some amnesia. It comes, but not [...]

A Little Less Heavy

I am no closer to the imminent end to the endless manuscript that will be holding me hostage through the weekend.
But today was a better day, even still. Yesterday I got my revision notes on my Alice manuscript—one that I thought would surely carry through into October. But the revisions were much simpler than I [...]