Step One: Write a story Step Two: Submit story Step Three: A Magical Transformation Occurs the Moment the Mailbox Closes Step Four: Get Hopes Up ie, 8 weeks of ridiculous statistical analysis. Step Five: Receive Results 99% of the time: 1% of the time: Step Six: Return to Read more…
“The whole point is you’re making this beautiful, invisible vase.” –Kim Stanley Robinson at Clarion 2013. These words have stayed with me since I heard them last summer. The first draft of a story is rather like putting clay on the wheel. It’s… fast. You have this SHAPE now. You Read more…
When I was a wee elementary school girl, I would make “books” by stapling together folded typing paper. I would compose a story with illustrations to fit the number of pages provided. I vividly remember this one story I did. Lisa and the Fairy by Marie Vibbert, age 8* Once Read more…
“I’ve got to be writing. I have a few ways to make sure I can carve out time. Part One: Neglect everything else” -David Mitchell (quoted in The Atlantic.) Like most writers, I don’t write enough. I have a goal to write one hour every day. I have met that Read more…
Despite its never having worked, ever, I frequently do this: This works much better: Punishing yourself doesn’t work. Did you eat all your veggies when your parents made you stay at the table until you did? Me neither. I stayed up all night in a cold kitchen, and I Read more…
For the purposes of this post, stories are vases. Not all vases are the same, though. One problem with soliciting advice for improving your story can be that the person you talk to wants a different vase altogether. “I wrote a heartwarming human-interest story!” “It needs more action.” “Here’s Read more…
So, this really happened. I was helping my friend Mike move, and I had stacked the dresser drawers in opposite order so I could put them back in easily. The three drawers were all different sizes. I took the bottom drawer, which was largest, out last, so it was on Read more…