Endings

In life, endings can be messy. Endings can be complicated. When readers reach the end of a novel, however, they are not looking for messy. Readers look for happy endings, or at least some sense of resolution for all the problems and travails our characters have gone through. But what if the end of a … Continue reading Endings →

If Only It Were This Easy

My five-year-old granddaughter wrote and published her first two books last week: Spring is Here and The Chick Finally Hatched. After some discussion, she dictated her story as I typed, and once it was printed her sisters helped her color and illustrate, and voilà! She is a published author, so proud of her work. Going … Continue reading If Only It Were This Easy →

Shifting Focus

It’s been three months since I sent my second novel, Some Kind of Justice (originally A Thousand Secrets), to a dozen or so agents that looked like a good fit. Only three have responded, with polite rejections. My lofty goal was to self-publish if I hadn’t heard anything positive from an agent by the spring, … Continue reading Shifting Focus →

Writing and Wordle

Yes, I’m a fan. And I’m glad there is only one puzzle a day. I have enough puzzles in my writing that are far more interesting and rewarding to solve. I did realize this morning, though, how both require paying attention, realizing mistakes and a willingness to change course. The directions for Wordle are simple … Continue reading Writing and Wordle →

Struggling?

This word is used a lot. People struggle with their feelings, struggle with a problem, struggle with finances, struggle with beliefs. If someone were to ask how my writing is going, right now I would say I’m struggling. It’s early in this new novel, early in the process of getting to know new characters, trying … Continue reading Struggling? →