I downloaded the ebook “The Only Harmless Great Thing” by Brooke Bolander today, and can’t stop thinking about how beautiful the writing is. The story is both painful and beautiful, but the magic is in how Bolander creates a history and an alternate reality that feels as real as my desk…
You can find inspiration in the ordinary, and in the unusual. Neither are better for inspiration as long as you get as much out of each as you can. I got home from my very first cruise on Monday night, and am still doing laundry and putting travel gear…
I’m getting my ribbons, scissors, and glue packed up for the Make-N-Take at the Oregon State Fair. On Friday August 31st from 12 to 1 I’ll be at a table in front of the Explore Oregon stage teaching folks how to make double ribbon paperclips! Here’s a link to the…
I recently finished a short story and realized it was time to get myself a Beta reader. The only people who have read my fiction in the past are close friends or relatives, but it was time to see what it felt like to send off a newly finished work…
A Flash Fiction challenge was offered on June 2 by the TerribleMinds blog (filled with the entertaining wordspewings of author Chuck Wendig) and it tickled my fancy, so I wrote something then and there. And then immediately forgot I wrote it until I stumbled over it yesterday (June 18), long…
I noticed something interesting over the past couple of days regarding the titles of press releases and other notices sent out by the Oregon Legislature. I’m on a mailing list for “Oregon State Legislature – Press Release Update” and noticed that the press releases from the Oregon Democrats over the…
Just started reading “The Little Book of Hygge” this weekend. So far it’s all about candles (which I can’t stand) and lamps/lighting (which I love). So, a mixed bag for me. It’s a cute book though, with cute illustrations and beautiful print quality. Borrowed from the Salem Public Library, West…
I was given the James Patterson writing Masterclass for Christmas, and enjoyed the class. Part of the class involved a contest to become a co-writer on a James Patterson book, and a lot of people took a stab at it — including me! Since the 10 semi-finalists have been announced…
There was an interesting discussion in one of my Facebook writing groups today, about whether a fantasy novel needs to call a horse a horse or come up with all new beasts and names. The original poster wanted to know if it was OK to use Earth animals rather than…
Another interesting bit of conceptual development from the NaNo worldbuilding forum. 1. What is valued most in your Society? (Money, Family, Love, etc.) Tesh (my main character) isn’t sure what her people value since she’s lost her memory; as the story progresses she realizes she values independence and knowledge. The…