corn maze

Writing this new novella of mine is like walking through a corn maze. (You know, one of the mazes built into corn fields–there’s only one way in and out, and in between are plenty of paths that lead to dead ends).
Half of the time, I’m walking towards a dead end. Today, I wrote [...]

days are getting shorter

The days are getting shorter–I always notice this sometime in October, before daylight savings time kicks in. Darkness arrives at 6:30p, and it’s still dark at 7am.  In a couple weeks, when we turn back the clock, daylight will end sooner and sooner, edging back into late afternoon.
And of course, this also means I’m [...]

The garden cycle

Thought some of you might want a vegetable garden update:
The garden has survived an entirety of its first season! The gopher ate half of its bounty, dragging down the plants into the soil (he does NOT like sorrel, eggplant, or Korean perilla, so those are left prospering), and gave my dog no end of [...]

staying in

I’m staying in today. I canceled my workout at the gym, and cleared the entire day to…be at home by myself. I just want, need some comfort.
I’m making a big vat of soup. I left the house once–in my pajamas–to go to the neighborhood store and fetch myself a bottle of apple [...]

to SoCal

To friends, family, and anyone living in SoCal affected by the fires…I send positive thoughts, and hopes that you stay safe and that your homes stay standing.
I was in Berkeley during the 1991 Berkeley/Oakland Hills fires…and it was a sight to behold.  The sky was dark gray, the sun was a red dot in the [...]

Transitions and oxygen

My revisions have been turned in! I now have about a week break from deadlines (until I get the feedback and revise again). Yay! I’m sifting through my novella (as well as the novel), wondering which one I want to work on these next few days.
Today, too, I have my echocardiogram to [...]

In the Autumn mountains

I’ve spent the past few days here in the mountains, where the air is chilly and sweet with pine. I’m here to write–I had my deadline extended, and I’ve one more story to revise. So under blue skies, brisk wind, and surrounded by pine trees and bright golden aspens, I’ve glued my eye [...]

Dumbledore outed!

I just read the news that JK Rowling has outed Dumbledore. When a fan asked her whether or not Dumbledore finds true love, she replied:
“Dumbledore is gay,” the author responded to gasps and applause.
She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good [...]

draft after draft: novel in the closet

I was writing a novel. I’ve been writing the same novel for almost three years now.
After a ten month hiatus from the novel, I decided to take a look at it again, see if I could approach it. Of course, I found a dozen drafts, and various chapters, strewn through my hard drive–and [...]

“Ten” Snoggable Literary Characters

I’ve been tagged by Eve to list 10 snoggable literary characters.
This takes me down memory lane!
In no particular order:

George Emerson in E.M. Forster’s A Room With A View: my high school literary crush! Yes.
Howard Roark in The Fountainhead: You know, he’s one of those men in real life who would like, [...]

After the Quake after the game

Many of you know that I am an enthusiastic fan of Haruki Murakami’s work. I’ve read every one of his novels and short story collections published in the United States (and even gone so far as London to grab hardcover editions of his books there–why is the cover art in the UK soooo much [...]

ARGGGH!

I…HATE…how writing this particular short story makes me feel!  I just can’t find traction on it.  I wrote a first draft, and now I’m rewriting the whole thing.
It’s a beautiful day outside, and I’m spending it revising a short story that just won’t come together.