Who knew (word) stress could be so stressful?

Happy last day of May! I hope you’re doing well. I’ve been (very) slowly making progress on the audiobook of The Midnight Land. I actually recorded it a couple of years ago, but what with one thing and another, I only edited the first half of it. I’m now (very) slowly editing the second half of it […]

The book that restored my faith in fantasy

Hi Everyone! Star Wars Day has already come and gone, and Towel Day is coming right up! Those are both great holidays celebrating great fantasy (let’s be honest: Star Wars and Hitchhiker’s Guide are both fantasy) worlds, but I want to take a moment to celebrate one of my personal favorite fantasy worlds: Terre d’Ange. Terre d’Ange is the world where the Kushiel’s […]

The long-promised Kickstarter is (almost) here!

Hi Everyone! Welcome to the Pollenocalypse! At least if you live in the Southeast of the US. Everything is a slightly sinister of yellow-green, and we can’t stop sneezing. The downside of living in a region with lush tree growth everywhere. Okay, on with the updates. First of all, the thing I’ve been talking about […]

When it turns out you’re the opposite of who you think you are…

Hi All! After a few days where North Carolina appeared to have transformed into the desert planet of Arrakis, we’ve finally gotten some rain and some cooler weather. Will it be too late for my camellias? I guess we’ll find out. My poor April Remembered camellia Last time I talked about my character Dasha’s MBTI type […]

Say what? How criticism is a special gift (and how I did something stupid while writing this post)

Hi All! Soooo, I wrote this whole long post earlier today. It was poignant, it was insightful, it was funny…it disappeared into the ether, never to return, when I tried to send it. That is, of course, 100% my own fault. I knew my email program had a tendency not to back things up well. […]

What’s my main character’s worst nightmare?

Hello! It’s another warm Saturday here in North Carolina, so I’m looking forward to another deep and hopefully refreshing dive into my characters’ psyches. I thought it would be fun–well, fun for me, at least–to put my somewhat dubious side-quest reading into psychology and personality types to use this summer in an examination of my […]

Invoking the Muse: How to Get Inspiration You Can Use III: Keeping a Dream Diary

Last time we talked about various authors who got inspiration from dreams and visions. This time we’ll talk about practical suggestions for keeping a dream/vision diary and transforming them into something you can actually use. Keep a dream diary. Every morning (or whenever you have a dream), jot down a 1-2 sentence description, or even […]

Invoking the Muse: How to Get Inspiration You Can Use II (Dreams and Visions)

In the last post on this topic we talked about the Hoodoo vs. Hard Work continuum. This time we’ll talk about catching your dreams and visions. But wait! you cry. This is supposed to be about practical tips! How are dreams and visions practical? Well, they’re not, not exactly. But they are a key source […]

Why Aren’t You Writing VI: What If You Don’t Think You Deserve It (Whatever “It” Is)

In my previous post I talked about physical obstacle and in particular dealing with illness and disability while writing. In this one I’ll talk about an especially insidious mental block–thinking you don’t deserve to do the things that would make you successful. I’m sure I’m committed to my writing. I’m so sure I’m committed to […]

“Sick: A Memoir” by Porochista Khakpour

Sick: A Memoir Porochista Khakpour Porochista Khakpour has always been sick. But why? Her story will be familiar to anyone who knows the standard Lyme narrative: years of mysterious ailments, frequent diagnoses of mental health problems, the treatment of which only made her problems worse, the growing worry that she was either crazy or dying […]