I’ve noticed that writers and editors run out of things to talk about so they invent ridiculous rules that don’t exist outside their own heads, or they apply them like a toddler with a hammer. “Don’t use adverbs!” they say. You know, adverbs can be terrific. Writing is never about 1 + 1 = 2.…
Month: November 2019
On the importance of setting
I’ve never been much of a person for scenery as my friend Diane can tell you, which is probably because I spent many decades in Kansas where the scenery is very subtle, vast oceans of field and sky, and you can only distinguish landmarks after thirty years’ careful study. One of my challenges as a…
On not missing home
A colleague of mine moved to LA from the south last year and is having a hard time adjusting. “I miss the seasons,” she says, very obviously expecting me to chime in with how I love(d) Kansas in November, which I did but basically my position is they would have to extradite me before I…
On not being an inspiration
Yesterday, someone kept telling me I was “superhuman” because I’ve dealt with challenges. I’m a mother who loves her daughter and made some sacrifices. That doesn’t make me superhuman. That make me a parent. In the past, I’ve been called “inhuman” because I had to make brutal, agonizing decisions about my daughter. That doesn’t make…