Is Social Media Dead?
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, I’ve been pondering this question, especially in relation to writers using the platforms to connect and promote their work. To me, most platforms are like a crowded mall where everyone is shouting at the top of their lungs. There’s the random panhandler or...
The White Default
I am hard at work revising a novel. A member of my book group asked me if my main character is white and, if so, do I describe her race. Coincidentally, I have two trusted readers who in giving feedback on the manuscript asked the same question. Is this...
Diversity in Art
Art, in all its forms, is a way for us to understand our world and share that interpretation with others. If we’re to understand the variety and richness of the human experience, we need diverse voices. Diversity matters among artists and among the gatekeepers who decide what gets put...
Literature and Social Issues
Literature has a long history of exploring social issues. Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – treatment of the mentally ill. Harper Lee, To Kill a Mocking Bird – racism. Margaret Atwood, The Handmaiden’s Tale – misogyny and religious fanaticism. Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye – internalized...
Flat Affect
I’m a fan of British crime dramas. They usually follow a predictable format. There’s a detective who is a crime-solving savant that is respected but seen as weird and prone to sudden insights. They often jump out of their chair and run down the hall in the middle of...
Writing Process Part 2: Plotter or Pantser?
One meaning of ‘writing process’ is the writing routine. The other meaning is how the writer approaches the work. Are they at the ‘figure everything out in advance’ (a plotter) end of the writing approach spectrum or are they at the ‘figure it by the seat of their pants’...
Writing Process Part 1: Butt-in-Chair
Whenever I go to a reading event, inevitably during the question and answer session someone asks about the author’s writing process. It seems that writers interpret the ‘writing process’ as having two meanings. One is writing routine; the butt in chair work of getting words on paper. Cheryl Strayed,...
Dangers of the Brick-and-Mortar Bookstore
I went to a brick-and-mortar bookstore for the first time in a long time the other day. My town has two outlets of a big chain store and a handful of independent booksellers. I wanted to get a copy of Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People...
The Importance of Whimsy
My day job is at an academic medical center where we do important work. Very. Important. Work. Some of my colleagues helped find a treatment for Ebola. People from all over the world come to our transplant center. We’ve done cutting edge work in robotic surgery and are a...
Literary? Genre? Somewhere in between?
What’s the difference between fiction, literary fiction, and genre fiction? I’m working on querying agents and many of the ones I’m looking at say they accept both fiction and literary fiction. They don’t mention genre fiction but when I look at the authors they represent, some of that work...