…but the big question is when? When do I reveal what Lyra is hiding? What David is hiding? What Annie is hiding? Most characters have secrets; it drives the conflict, increases tension and builds suspense. But what makes the conflicts … Continue reading →

Nearing the climax: Only one thought nags at her, but Lyra smiles wryly when she realizes that this one disturbing, all-consuming thought encompasses all of her divergent concerns. Is she playing God? Is she, the girl who does not believe … Continue reading →

The thesaurus is my best friend. The thesaurus is my acquaintance, pal, ally, associate, colleague. Nah… the thesaurus is my best friend. I use the electronic tool from my word processing software constantly (continually, always, repetitively) when I write. I have … Continue reading →

Q: What is a writer? A: Someone who writes. Q: Who is a writer? A: A quagmire of perception and interpretation so complex that there is no definitive, conclusive answer. When people ask me what I do, I assume, naturally, that … Continue reading →

I have to get out of my own head. There are two of us in here: Lyra and me. When I write I have to remind myself I’m writing Lyra’s story, not my own. It’s not me who experienced a devastating terrorist … Continue reading →

What I like about math–scratch that; there’s nothing I like about math (when I was in Teacher’s College and learning about learning disabilities, I decided I could diagnosed myself with a learning disability about numbers 🙂 I swear! It’s why my pulse … Continue reading →

I’ve stopped writing. The clack of the keyboard has fallen silent. It’s the damn ending. I’m about three-quarters of the way through this draft and I’m at the point where I’ve introduced a new character. In my first iterations (my … Continue reading →

It’s true. I did. I shot Lyra at point blank range. In the chest. The proof (she and David, her guide in the Second World, are trying to escape from their captors): Lyra clasps her hands tighter around David’s arm; … Continue reading →

There’s a game my kids liked the play when they were little. It’s a double-sided board that stands vertically; on each side are rows of individual characters, some of whom share similar traits, such as glasses or hats or blonde … Continue reading →

I am Dr. Frankenstein. I am creating a monster (I assure you the novel, at the moment, is a beast). I am breathing new life into the thing by cannibalizing parts of other corpses, or, what we commonly refer to … Continue reading →