Recent Articles
There is a Grief that Comes at the End of All Creative Projects
In ten days I will be done with another project. For a year, I have spent time with the characters of my middle grade novel What He Left Me, and I have held Paulie in my arms, and I have fallen in love with Mr. Langley, and I have rooted for Aunt Bee. I don't really...
8 Fundamentals of Publishing Every Writer Needs to Know
Is it better to self-publish or traditionally publish? Well, the answer is both. But it depends on the project. Here’s a guide for the pros and cons of publishing, as far as what I know today. 1. The book release. In traditional publishing, someone else takes care of...
The Best Questions to Ask as a Hybrid Author
It’s incredibly easy to publish our books now. But should we self-publish right away or hold out for a traditional publishing deal?
On Rejection in the Life of a Writer
Lately I have been immersed in the work of submitting a novel to potential agents. It is a long and tedious process but a process that is necessary if one wants to become traditionally published. And because it has always been a dream of mine, I have spent the last...
How to Trade Lonely Art for Community Art
This week my husband and I spent three days at a creative conference. Mostly it was designers and illustrators, no writers at all, but still it was amazing to be in a place with so many other creative people and admire their work from the sidelines. And then. On the...
Rest is a Necessary Part of the Creative Process
“I wish I didn’t have so much to write this week,” I said. It was exhaustion speaking, since I haven’t slept in days because of pregnancy-related discomfort. And it’s Christmas, so it’s a short week and I still have gifts to finish and wrap, and all of that hangs over...
Constraints in Creativity: Are They a Good Thing?
Several years ago I began a project with a photographer friend who, every week, sent me a picture, and I would write exactly 40 words about it—some condensed make-believe situation that I could “see” in the picture. I pinned a 15-minute time constraint on the creative...
Write a GREAT Book Even When Your Time is Limited
