Monthly Archives: September 2011

Six Thought-Provoking Writing Posts

Posted on September 30, 2011 by

I always enjoy checking out Jo Eberhardt’s “Monday’s Top 5″ links over at The Happy Logophile, so I figured I’d share some interesting posts I’ve come across this week. I discovered most of them through my Google+ “Writers and Bloggers” stream. … Continue reading →

Posted in Revision, Writing | Tagged , | 10 Comments

David Mitchell and Inventing ‘Inaccurate But Plausible’ Dialogue

Posted on September 28, 2011 by

Reading “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet” was another amazing moment in my education about what historical fiction can be. My first watershed moment occurred earlier this year, when I read “Signal & Noise” by John Griesemer. I devoured … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Reading, Writing | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Another Chance to Win a Flipback!

Posted on September 26, 2011 by

This week I’m giving away another flipback book, courtesy of Arthur van Keulen of Jongbloed BV, the Dutch publishing company that created the innovative pocket-sized format. If you don’t know about these books yet, click on the “flipback” category on … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Contest, Fiction, Flipback, Reading | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Writing Challenge #9: Coloring Your Fictional World

Posted on September 22, 2011 by

As writers, we work daily to avoid cliches and find our own way of saying things. Sometimes it’s easier to dash off a color word–like pink, for instance–to describe a character’s shirt or the kind of light entering the room. … Continue reading →

Posted in Revision, Writing, Writing Challenge | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Could Someone Get Used to Reading Flipbacks All the Time?

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

After writing so many posts about flipback books, I read two of them in a row this summer–first the amazingly complex and beautiful “Cloud Atlas” by David Mitchell, then “The Other Hand” by Chris Cleave. I hadn’t read either author … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Flipback, Reading | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Carolyn Parkhurst’s Unlikely Novel Promotion

Posted on September 16, 2011 by

To promote her latest title, “The Nobodies Album,” Carolyn Parkhurst spent $150 for 30 days of individualized promotion. How? She chose 30 people offering interesting services through fiverr.com and paid them $5 each. Since September 1, Parkhurst’s daily promotional posts have included, “I will … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fiction, Reading, Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Hitting the Send Button

Posted on September 14, 2011 by

I just submitted the first 85,000 words of my novel, LOST NOTES, to my trusty critique group. Now the waiting begins–two months’ worth, in this case. We’ll meet in mid-November for my critique. In the meantime, I’ll be working on … Continue reading →

Posted in Plot, Revision, Writing | Tagged , , | 32 Comments

Author Interview: Lisa Rivero on her real-life title character, writing middle-grade historical fiction and indie publishing

Posted on September 12, 2011 by

From its opening scene, on a hot South Dakota day in July 1904, Lisa Rivero’s new middle-grade novel captures the imagination of its readers with a lively protagonist, authentic historical details and the stark realities of homesteading. OSCAR’S GIFT: PLANTING … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Research, Seven Questions, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

September 11, a Decade Later

Posted on September 11, 2011 by

I wrote the following essay for the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks, and I thought I’d share it today. It was published in Portrait, a souvenir edition of the Beaverton Valley Times, the Tigard Times and the Tualatin Times, … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Some Summer Snapshots: Why I Love Portland

Posted on September 9, 2011 by

Preschool begins Monday, so it seems like the perfect time to look back at the past few months. Rainy, gray days here in Portland, Oregon, eventually turned into a beautiful summer. Since June, I have posted ten Seven Questions interviews, … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Knitting, Revision, Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments