They See What You Don’t See
I’m sending a novel pitch out to agents, and one responds with interest. This means it’s time to send a full proposal: synopsis, character sketches,
December 11, 2011
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Live With Flair
(my daily blog)
How to Write a Great Holiday Letter
After years of trying to write good Christmas letters, I realize that my own letters fall into one of three categories. 1. Too Much Information2.
November 25, 2011
Feast on the Empty
We’re walking in the woods this Thanksgiving Day, and autumn has starved the whole landscape of color. When I look up, I see tree
November 24, 2011
What to Tell Yourself When You’re Nervous
As soon as you launch out into anything public, you might suddenly become very nervous. When I speak, teach, blog, or lead, I’ve learned that
October 3, 2011
Can You Make This Unfamiliar?
I’m teaching my students how to de-familiarize themselves from their own writing in order to find errors. It’s a strange phenomenon of writing: when you
September 27, 2011
Offering a Blank Page
Just now, my printer chokes and halts. An orange warning light flickers. A message alert flashes on my computer screen: No paper. I find the
September 20, 2011
Sending Your Voice Into the World
On the walk home from school, an extraordinary sight greets us. A beautiful hot air balloon hovers in the morning sky. (My husband’s phone snapped
August 31, 2011
What a Change of Background Can Do
I realize today that I love experimenting with background. The word technically means the “scenery behind the main object of contemplation, especially when perceived as
August 14, 2011
Doing What You Love
Today I remember a conversation I had with my husband years ago. We were talking about careers and our future. We asked this question: “What
August 6, 2011
Who But You?
As I prepare my writing seminar, I receive emails and comments from folks asking sadly, “What do I have to write that’s worth reading? Why
July 16, 2011