I’d like to think I know you now, Like the end makes clarity. Like the end of a book, the wrap-up, the meaning unveiled. But this end is only the last chapter of the meaning I make of you. You live in me now, how I saw you, Your echo that cannot produce anything…
Blog
The People We Leave
Every night and morning, I dream. Everyone dreams while they sleep, but some don’t remember them. I remember too much, perhaps. I wake with an ache somewhere deep inside me, the only cure to fall back behind the curtain, back into my dream. Because there, I find something beautiful. I think of dreams as a…
The Woman of Mystery Thrillers
You know the titles. The ones that indicate the gender of the protagonist or victim in some short, vague line. The Girl on The Train. The Woman in the Window. Gone Girl. The Wife Upstairs. Then She Was Gone. The Woman in Cabin 10. Her Perfect Bones (WTF?!). It’s an ongoing book trend that has…
Nova’s Favorite 5 in Fiction
In my daily writing sprint with Paperbacks & Co., our group discussed the following question: What is your favorite novel? It was a short answer session because writers like us don’t have one favorite novel. We’d be lucky to narrow it down to ten. But I thought I’d try anyway to sit down and share…
Writing Unique Bad Habits
I’ve been brainstorming bad habits and traits to make my characters more messy, more real. In my writing group, we talked about smoking as a bad habit that is, unfortunately, such a great affectation to write. You move both your fingers, your mouth, it affects the way to take in air, and let it out….
LYFM: First Draft Insights and Thoughts
I want to do a quick update on my Leaving You For Mars journey, now that I’ve finished my FIRST FULL DRAFT. This is the first novel I’ve written, so just getting here has been a big accomplishment. A few quick takeaways: Draft 1 is 134,652 words long (474 pages in the PDF I’ll be…
Why I chose Leaving You For Mars
Climate change and complacency With this blog, I wanted to periodically talk about my progress with my novel and some of the more fun things about writing. Leaving You For Mars isn’t quite a sci-fi. I wanted to make the story about climate change, complacency, and what “survival” means to each of us. In…
Let’s Talk: A Manual For Tough Conversations
Sale breaks down intimidating topics so our brains don’t jam I was fortunate to stumble across this ARC that happens to be right up my alley. I’ve listened to Anna Sale’s Death, Sex, and Money podcast a bit, but never felt hooked. After her book, I’m eager to give it another chance. Let’s Talk About Hard…
Waiting for Normal
Everything we want in this world seems to come with a time stamp. I can sit and write today for 30 minutes. I can meet for lunch for 45. The drive to and from work takes 15. I’ll publish this article in the next day or two. I’ll publish my book in the next 2–5…
How I Choose Books While Traveling
And books that choose me One of the many things I love about books is the way they can connect you to a specific time and place. Not only the fictional location and space, but certain books can tether you to the experience you had when buying or first reading that book. My most treasured…
