Choosing your next food book idea can be scary. It takes bravery to commit to an idea and follow through with its development. So, how do you go about deciding on one? Well, it just might be in your next culinary magazine pitch. Writing for a magazine might not be the first thing on your… Read more »
I’ve wanted to write a novel since the age of five. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I started several novels but never finished a single one because life always got in the way. Adult life will throw you a curve and often make you think you’re too old for your passions. When I was 34,… Read more »
Last week, during my yearly checkup, my doctor told me that she would be retiring in February. I expressed my regret and she decided to tell me why she was leaving. “They say 2020 is the year of reflection,” she said. “I just reflected on my life and I realized that it was time to… Read more »
In the first fiction workshop I ever took, our instructor said to us, “Do you know what the difference between a really good fiction writer and you is? They make better sentences.” I knew even then that there was more of a difference between those writers and us, but his words have always stuck with… Read more »
We all want to be the great American novelist. But as we’re slogging through the process that is drafting, revising, getting feedback, and editing, sometimes we just need to sit down and write something new and fresh. Flash fiction, generally defined as fiction less than 1,000 words, can do that for you. Here are five… Read more »
The thruline for this column is motivation despite setbacks. I want to encourage writers to be authentic, but to also no longer make excuses for procrastination. I always want to broach that from an empathic, non-judgmental place, so I sat down and made a list of the excuses I use for not getting my writing done…. Read more »
When we read great dialogue, sparks fly. Why? I love dialogue. When I’m reading a book and I spot dialogue up ahead, I think: Sweet—we’re getting to the good stuff soon. And when I’m writing a book and I get to a part requiring dialogue, I think: Sweet—time to have some real fun. Here’s the… Read more »
Over the last several weeks, several months, truthfully, it’s felt like everyone I know, including myself, has been running on empty in most areas of life. At the very beginning of this “new normal” period, every day was a bit of an unknown. From not really knowing how long the pandemic was going to last,… Read more »
Whenever I’m asked who my dream dinner guest is, I still say: Anthony Bourdain. For years, I imagined sharing a meal with him in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant having giant belly laughs and leaving with a full heart. I don’t believe I’m alone in that. Some people are born storytellers. They know how to grab an… Read more »
Jeanette the Curriculum Unicorn here with your writerly wisdom. Have you ever asked yourself the right questions so that the answer is yes? Like this first one that is top of mind: Can I really write a book? Does that thought seem familiar? I can’t even express how many times those words have gone through… Read more »
