The first chapter of Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is titled, “Day 1,299 of My Captivity.” It is referenced by a sentient octopus, Marcellus. This timeline motif, which continues through Van Pelt’s REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, feels
Tag: writing life
Looking for story, story, story Looking for a story but only seeing air, Exasperation, frustration, Nothing real there. As spring begins, I find myself in a freelance work lull which means I cannot run away from
I was drinking my morning coffee and reading my book when… Midway through chapter 24, I felt it: the hand of plot. That sense that the author is driving to a point – squeezing in some
How Much Reading & Writing Have You Managed? 2022 has begun with… a bang and a whimper and a moan and a sigh. At least, that’s how it feels to me. The shift from pandemic to
Back to My Mountain and a Writing Resolution Like many others, I feel grateful to have made it to New Year’s Eve 2021 without (entirely) losing my mind. And I’ve decided to do something I usually
The relationship between theme and plot has been a major writing challenge during the pandemic. It’s been a year of lockdown, of protest, of raising very confused and saddened children, of angry debates and so much
Happy New Year! Here in the Pacific Northwest, 2021 has begun with… rain. That’s no surprise. Rain is the forecast from something like October to June. I must admit, it’s a touch harder to bear than
The blog migration has begun. I realize that we’re just one week away from the official start of winter and two weeks shy of Christmas. So, if I were a southbound Canada Goose (or Santa Claus),
2020 has brought with it an unusual dilemma for contemporary fiction writers. What are the odds of selling a novel set in the pandemic? The timeline for a manuscript to travel from final draft to bookstore
This isn’t my best foray into Canva quote designs but I love the sentiment and I hope you do, too. You made it to Friday. Maybe it wasn’t pretty. Maybe you didn’t log 1,000 words a