How a Book Is Born, Part 12
In which I decide to kill off a character. And then rescind the decision.
Similar Posts
On manifestos, redux
So a friend of mine read On Manifestos and wondered if I really think my audience reads Nietzsche and smokes Gauloises and cares about the ravings of a long-dead Dadaist, to which my only possible response is, I believe, “Bite me.” Or possibly, “At least they don’t read Ayn Rand like your audience, neener-neener.” Anyway,…
On using a knife and fork
Jessica’s last day of school is really just a last morning of school, so when I pick her up, the whole day stretches ahead of us. “How about lunch in Lawrence?” I say. “Yes.” She is without hesitation. Jessica is a girl who likes lunch. “Where?” “Let’s go to Encore,” I say. “They have those…
On getting things done
A friend of mine always teases me about being held hostage when Jess is with me (as opposed to when Jess is with her father), because I answer the phone less and don’t talk as much. It’s absolutely true, and if said friend were to make an issue of it, my response would be, “Have…
On quiet adventures
I’ve come into Joshua Tree National Park from the Mojave side, and don’t actually see any Joshua trees at first. As I drive, I begin to wonder if the park has been perhaps ironically named. Like it’s actually the everything-but-Joshua-trees park. Little road signs label the various sights. They have names like Fried Liver Wash….
Respecting Literature
One of the the things I adore about Spain is how strong the book culture is here. There are countless bookstores in the area where I live – I can think of eight within a kilometer or so. They’re not franchises, just small, family-owned businesses that thrive despite the fact that Amazon and ebooks are…
Pitch sessions: the other side of the desk (part 3)
In which we conclude our series of amazing insights into the pitching process . . . . As a writer approaching a pitch session, I get keyed up, hoping I make a good connection with the editor or agent, hoping she’ll be interested in my project, hoping this meeting turns out to be the key…