Category: Writing Life

How I Wrote My Debut Novel: Part Two – Focus and the Value of Writing in the Same Location

Place matters. We become emotionally attached to it. Over time, a place becomes imbibed with meaning and memory. A place becomes a sanctuary, an oasis,…

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How I Wrote My Debut Novel: Part One – The Value of a Writing Discipline

Eight years ago this month I finished my thesis defense, earning my MFA in Creative Writing at Butler University, Indianapolis. My thesis, after another draft…

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Three At Once

I have always worked on one project at a time. I enjoy thinking deeply about a project and letting myself sink down into it. When…

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Two More Bookshelves*

A room without books is like a body without a soul. ― Marcus Tullius Cicero I am a keeper of books. My personal library holds an array…

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The Partnership

There is one person who reads very nearly everything I write…well before anyone else does. She reads my draft correspondence, emails, and text messages anytime…

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