Stay Away From Shoulds There are a lot of shoulds in the writing world. You should write a certain way. You should pitch a certain way. You should publish a certain way. Only, “a certain way” is never just one way. One cursory glance online and you can see … Continue reading →

What to Read or What Not To Read? My dilemma: read new books? Or re-read old favourites?  I have a limited time to read (sadly…). What is the best use of it? To return to something I love? To take … Continue reading →

Advice in All its Forms I did what I said I’d never do… fall into the trap of believing that celebrities aren’t the same as the rest of us… I read an interview with actor/producer Reese Witherspoon where she says … Continue reading →

Adjusting Writing Expectations I have an innate sense of time. Without a watch, I can often tell the time. I can also estimate how long an activity will take, and when to leave to get somewhere. I’m not perfect, but … Continue reading →

And Feeling Validated When I first watched Titanic, I was, predictably, emotionally crushed—but I also felt a jarring discomfort. (And no, it wasn’t whether Jack could have fit on the door!) It was at the end, when an old Rose dies, … Continue reading →

And Power of Words My daughter’s friend told a story: her dad was interviewing a teen boy for a job at a paddleboard shop. It was the kid’s first interview. He was nervous. So when he was asked why he … Continue reading →

When Optimism Isn’t Always Enough I was chatting with a few author friends. We’ve all published at least one novel (some have published more) but none of us is a household name (except, well, in our own households. :)) We keep … Continue reading →

Writing Pride At Every Step My friend, who has young twins, was ecstatic that her girls could now put on their own shoes and get themselves into the car. My own daughters are late-teenagers; they’re driving the car. But as proud as … Continue reading →

Finishing a To-Read Pile: Impossible! My to-read pile is a mile high. My list of books I want to read is even longer. My stack of resources of books I may want to read (newsletters, blogs, recommendations) is unending.  And still I … Continue reading →

David vs. Goliath An image popped into my head: David and Goliath—the iconic Biblical story of a young boy defeating the giant with just a sling and a rock. I feel that way about the publishing industry sometimes. The behemoth … Continue reading →