Readers! Last weekend I was in Missoula for the Montana Book Festival, an event I first attended twelve years ago. I was alone then too, wandering through crowds of writers and their books, listening to panels and readings, and wondering what it would be like to be at this event as an author. Now I … Continue reading How to Live
Writing my first published novel, The Wolf Tone, I found myself inside a nest of opposing ideas. From the book’s general theme to the characters’ dissimilar ages, every idea seemed to have a counterpart. I didn’t exactly plan this. I did not draft the book thinking: I know! I’ll work with incompatible themes and characters … Continue reading Working with Opposites: a craft essay
My writing background tells me that when dealing in highly charged symbols like fire, owls, houses, kudzu (if you're southern), lakes, storm and the like, one must tread lightly. These symbols mean something. You're supposed to know what. It isn't that the house must always be the soul of the family, but it commonly is. … Continue reading The Dark Bird
There is a curious HOLD pattern to the writing life while one's novel is being, uh, considered by strangers. It's accompanied by a mute marvel: did I really do it? Did I actually complete an entire book? And someone is really concentrating on it enough--I really got this far with the whole thing? This is … Continue reading The writer on hold…
Nobody cares if you do it or not. Deciding not to smoke might save your life, even if it drives you crazy. People, a few, might care that you save your own life. But in the larger scheme of things, one life is, well, up to you. Same goes for writing. Deciding to write will … Continue reading Writing is like Not smoking