I posted this on July 3 on Through The Tollbooth. Here it is again (typos and redundancies included!!) Tomorrow is the 4th of July. Independence Day. Like a lot of you, I will go to parties and watch fireworks. Wave the flag. Chill out. Yesterday, I went to a memorial for the three teenagers killed…
Sarah Aronson
I am in the listening phase
My WIP is out on sub, so that means, I have some time to start thinking about what I want to write about next. One story has been knocking on my door, and now, every day, if I walk around and think (without my phone), I notice things. Inspiration. Clues. Ideas. Themes. It is a…
#WeNeedDiverseBooks . . .and now what?
Good morning, Writers! This weekend, if you were on Twitter, you might have seen a lot of tweets under the hashtag: #WeNeedDiverseBooks. It was a very empowering and exciting weekend. I love when people stand up for something important! It is a cause that goes straight to the heart of WHY we write books. Diverse characters…
One change leads to another
I have been working on a revision that, in part, requires me to go from first person present to past. You would think this MIGHT be a very easy exercise, but of course, like all changes, it is not. This morning, after deleting a huge chunk of the text, I thought about exactly what…
The bridge between goals and accomplishment.
Is Discipline. (Tell ’em VINCE: It’s easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you’re a winner, when you’re number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you’re not a winner.) Time to get to work.
Going to the basement
This morning, I literally had to go to the basement (to let the meter man in). While I was down there, I opened up my old file cabinet. I was procrastinating. (I really needed a break.) I found: The first novel I ever wrote, the one that starts with a 12 year old girl waking…
On tenacity and gratitude
First, a thank you to the people from Anderson’s Kid Lit Breakfast, for inviting me to be part of this amazing event. Of course, I had heard all about it, and it lived up to my expectations. I met many dedicated, passionate, and funny librarians and teachers, all excited about books and reading and their…
What are you resisting? What holds you back?
The other day, my husband told me that I should have been named Lucy. “You are your advice,” he said. I don’t think it was a compliment. But when it comes to writing, I find myself giving a lot of advice…especially to new writers…especially when it comes to finding the story you want to write….
Yoga Wisdom
Dreams
Martin Luther King said, ““Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” I love this idea. In my writing life, I try very hard to write about topics that will get my readers thinking and talking. I want to push them to join me in making the world better…in…