I had a similar experience a few years ago. Within three weeks I attended three funerals, and decided there was no way someone else was going to do my hair and makeup and lay me in a box. I came home and made a list similar to yours, except that I...

I love the idea of highlighting the best sentences and images! Not only can you find the perfect title, you can uncover lines that can be used in your query letter and "elevator speech." For my first novel I had a page in my notebook dedicated to...

My thanks go to Sister Carmella, my Senior English teacher. I found out at the reunion that everyone hated her, probably because she had such a wicked aim and could hit any of her 30 targets with an eraser if she thought they weren't paying...

Florinda, Thanks for your concise and thorough review of the so-called Franzen Feud. I am with you in every respect. As a reader I gravitate to fiction that mirrors the real world. I can't seem to get into fantasy, paranormal, or anything other than...

I am right there with Tammy's comment from yesterday. Cyberspace is an easy lover. It's hard to break away. Now that I publish a blog I feel compelled to keep a regular posting schedule. Scanning for new post material I often get sucked past the...

Erin, you've already mentioned many of my favorite recent titles. I'm always drawn to the double-meaning, like Alice Munro's two short story collections, Who Do You Think You Are? and Things I've Been Meaning to Tell You. They leave so much to the...

My absolute favorite place to write is on the water. Something about the gentle rock of the boat at anchor lulls me into my dream state, (see my blog for photo.) When I'm on land I seem to be more motivated in early afternoon when my "chores" are...

Definitely the beginning of a trend. Make a statement and save money at the same time. I wonder if the idea was an instant hit, or whether it took a long sell job to take it from concept to reality? Ginger...