A man sits at a desk in front of a typewriter and holds his head in his hands

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On writing community and demonic compulsion What does it take to write a novel? In 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel, Jane Smiley says that the desire to write a novel is the only prerequisite needed to […]
A small brown dog, wearing a hot-pink wizard's hat with white stars, leaps through a hoop

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This week, an old dog learned new tricks and stretched her mind. I made an Instagram video. From scratch. Stretching your mind is supposed to keep your brain sharp, adaptable, and young. New experiences and challenges promote neuroplasticity—what […]
The covers for three books: Only the Moon Howls, The Wolf's Den, and Blue Moon

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The cover art for the three books in the Club and Fang trilogy show different aspects of the werewolves that feature prominently in the books. As the third book in the trilogy came together, I’d need a cover. […]
A woman stands on the edge of a cliff

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My only writing this week was to rewrite the ending to a short story that I’ve been working on for… I don’t know how long. It’s been kicking around for at least ten years. I keep coming back […]
Clocks bend and drip in a painting by Salvador Dali

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How is time organized in a novel? We were discussing the organizing principle(s) for a novel recently in one of my writing groups. Today I thought about a few books that I read recently and how they were […]
Sunrise on an autumn day as viewed through tree trunks and yellow leaves

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2025 was an amazing year for writing. In January, I finished the first draft of the novel I’ve been working on since 2021. In March, I dove into a ten-month class on novel revision. A second draft was […]
A man sits at a desk in front of a typewriter and holds his head in his hands

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Brooding over the question of why werewolves bite.
A man sits at a desk in front of a typewriter and holds his head in his hands

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The class critique of my first-draft manuscript is over – now the work begins for a second revision! The critique entailed receiving feedback in the form of letters and annotations on the manuscript – eight people’s feedback, our […]
A man sits at a desk in front of a typewriter and holds his head in his hands

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Genre in fiction can be a slippery beast. Sometimes I don’t know what to say when people ask me in what genre I write. I usually say that I am broadly writing in the fantasy genre. Sometimes I […]
Cover image of the book Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style by Virginia Tufte

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My reading for the week has been a book on syntax, and it is delightful. You might think that a sentence that contains both “syntax” and “delightful” is somehow in error. Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style by Virginia […]