Black Holes and Other Mysteries My daughter is interested in physics—something about which I know less than nothing—so when she tried to explain her understanding of black holes, I was stumped.  “You know, sweetie, you got 98 percent on your … Continue reading →

What’s In OUR Control It’s obvious that “bestseller” and “best author” are not the same thing—though, of course they could be. Sales aren’t solely the result of quality writing; a big name, established reputation, or industry insiders rooting for you can change the … Continue reading →

The Villain in Our Own Heads My author friend Katie Keridan wrote these words: “You allow me to be the villain I wish I was while acting like the virtuous heroine I begrudgingly pretend to be.” So a) this is … Continue reading →

A Cheerleader Reader! I’ve coined a new term: Cheerleader Reader. It’s someone who reads your work and doesn’t criticize it. They are under STRICT instructions to say nothing but good things about it. And if they don’t like something? They have to keep their … Continue reading →

The Positive in Every Book In my weekly newsletter, I include my take on a book from my “to-read” pile. Some readers have commented on my always-positive mini-reviews.  “Don’t you ever not like a book?” one of them asked.  Absolutely. In fact, … Continue reading →

The Definition of a “Creative” I’ve been hearing the term “Creative” bandied about a lot as a noun. As in, “she’s a creative.” Or, “This is the way creatives think.”  I love the idea that there’s recognition that what we … Continue reading →

Role Models for Understanding I read an interview with a famous literary writer who explained she was reading a famous literary classic on a recent flight. Her seatmate, on the other hand, was playing a video game on her phone. … Continue reading →

There IS No Pattern to Writing Success You’ve read about the “successful” author, right? The one whose debut novel gets snapped up immediately with a six-figure advance? But you’ve also heard the wonder stories of the author whose 10th book finally … Continue reading →

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 →