Book Coaching & Editing Services for Writers of Fiction & Creative Nonfiction
My first quarter in UC Riverside’s Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA program, I studied fiction with Mary Yukari Waters. Mary said something once that was mind-blowing to me, a real lightbulb moment. Mary actually said many mind-blowing things over the course of our time working together, but this one in particular has stuck with me. Mary … Read More
Last week, I wrote about the 1950 film All About Eve and how much I love the way its ending mirrors its beginning. The screenplay for All About Eve is based on a short story, “The Wisdom of Eve,” written by American author Mary Orr (1910-2006). In fact, a lot of great films are based … Read More
I thought I’d close out National Poetry Month with some thoughts for those of us who are not poets. I want to tell you why I think poetry should be a part of any writer’s life and how it can improve your prose writing. Thinking of your writing in terms of poetry can help establish … Read More
Like many writers, I’ve kept a diary or journal since I was a teenager. I wish I had my old journals, but after someone read my diary when I was fourteen, I burned it and vowed never to keep a diary again. I kept writing, though, and as is usually the case with young writers, … Read More
It’s still sunny here in California. But the weather is getting cooler—most noticeably when the temperatures drop suddenly and rapidly after the sun sets. During the summer, I get up from my desk, away from my computer, and outdoors at least once a day, sometimes more. I go for walks—I moved here to Pismo Beach … Read More
I have a passion for railroad trains. As a child, when I was tucked into bed at my grandparents’ house, I loved to listen to the distant choo choo of passing trains. As an adult, I enjoy living on the wrong side of the tracks, where I can hear the call of the trains’ whistles … Read More
I work from home. Home for me was once just across the railroad tracks from the beach. Now it’s even closer, a half block away, and I can still hear the trains from not too far away—they run along Highway 1 just to the east of me. I love living near beaches and train tracks. … Read More
I just finished reading Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles (2012). At the risk of oversimplifying, the book’s advice boils down to this: Pressfield: “Do the work.” Writer: “But–“ Pressfield: “Do the work.” I enjoyed the foreword by Robert McKee immensely. McKee is an author, lecturer, and … Read More
So, I’m aware of the fact that I often seem to be advising writers not to write. But it only seems that way–all the things I encourage you to do as a writer will ultimately feed your writing, even if that means taking a break from writing so your subconscious brain can do its share of … Read More
I’m considering getting a home telephone installed. A prehistoric landline. Like many people these days, I gave up my landline more than a dozen years ago. I didn’t need it. Heck, my cell phone has so many bells and whistles, I could give up my television, my CD player, my camera, my calendar, my calculator, … Read More