All I’ve ever wanted to do was write fiction. This is a gross overstatement and not completely true, because no one forced me to earn a PhD in English Literature, marry, mother, manage a business, or write medical copy – among other activities. I chose to do all these things, and often for good reasons. […]
Living in Place
Art & Architecture
When Virginia Woolf recommended A Room of One’s Own for women writers, she couldn’t have anticipated the open concept in architecture, or understand fully how children can interrupt a mother with their needs even when they’re not there. I’ve always had a room of my own – it was a condition of cohabitation when my […]
Words, words, words!
Musicians have notes; artists, colors and shapes; writers have words. Writers in English have lots of words. While it’s impossible to count the number of words in our language, linguists estimate that English contains about a million different words, two million if you add all the scientific names for things. And new words enter the […]
Overcoming Self-Doubt
My first published novel came out a year ago, and I went on a full-time marketing spree. It was exhilarating – at first. I had readers! Great reviews! Sales! I received emails, letters and phone calls from strangers thanking me for such a heart-warming story! I loved it – for about six months. But two […]