Author and Ghostwriter
As an entrepreneur, I think I’ve been in denial about a little thing called stress, for years. Perhaps “ignorance” is more accurate than “denial,” though. It’s just that I always thought of “stress” as something suffered by working moms, high powered lawyers, and people in the midst of divorce. As for me: I’m self employed, … Read moreWriters are Entrepreneurs
I’ve finally done it. Bitten the proverbial bullet. Made myself a “leader” of a “writer’s group.” It’s a group where we practice creativity, which is, after all, a skill. Honestly, I stay away from writer’s groups as a rule because … who was it that said, “I’d never join a group that would have me … Read morePractice Creativity in a Writer’s Group
Anyone who has ever tried to write her own memoir without any writing experience quickly discovers that it’s not easy. In fact, for most people, it’s impossible. Not everyone is a writer. In fact, most people have trouble stringing a few sentences together in a compelling way, and that is as it should be. Becoming … Read moreWriting: The Sane Insanity
As a memoir ghostwriter, the question clients probably ask me most often is, “Will anyone actually want to read about this subject matter?” My honest answer isn’t yes or no, because, let’s face it, there’s no way to read the minds of millions of potential readers. The best answer I, as a ghostwriter, can honestly … Read moreA Memoirist’s Ultimate Question
When memoir writers get started, they often write everything down, stream-of-consciousness style, just to get all the ideas on paper. It’s a good idea, but a lot of writers get insecure about it because they don’t realize this a type of pre-writing and the first step in a long process. Stream-of-Consciousness Requires Letting Go This … Read moreStream-of-Consciousness: Beginner’s Mind
“If you’re a doe-eyed, raven-haired beauty with ninja skills, who speaks five languages and saves the world in her spare time, you should probably move on, but if you’re an accountant who wouldn’t mind taking care of a couple bookkeeping issues when I fall behind, I’d cherish you like a queen.” So begins the online … Read moreDating Profile as Mini Memoir
Let’s face it, Game of Thrones is having a serious identity crisis. It thinks it’s The Walking Dead, now. Inconsistencies abound! From a fiction writer’s perspective, the situation is disturbing. Sure, Walking Dead doesn’t own the zombie archetype. Anyone can use it, but it’s about the way Thrones is using it. Zombie Weapons–More Inconsistencies! The … Read moreThe Inconsistent Zombie
Recent run-ins with youngsters that like my book Bits of String too Small to Save have made me wonder, is my novel Young Adult? Is it children’s literature? Or is it simply its own literary phenomenon? (that sounded arrogant) Agents and publishers and people who really ought to know have told me the book isn’t YA, … Read moreIs my Novel Young Adult?
Now that Bits of String Too Small to Save is out–ebook, paperback, hardback, the works–I can and must concentrate on the sequel. Predictably, I began by taking ElizabethAnn through a portal to another world, this one by the sea, where tentacled sea monsters mess with peoples’ heads and hearts. Yet, I’m conscious to retain home … Read moreThe Theme of Home
Words’ Lives Matter, Even to Self Publishers I’m going to try not to rant, but I’ve been on a certain self-publishing facebook site that shall remain nameless for its own protection. I pop in there once in a while to see what other authors are up to, but I’ve discovered this is not a site … Read moreWords Lives Matter