The first book I envied was Bel Kaufman‘s Up the Down Staircase. It should have been my book! I knew what it was to cherish language and literature. Like Kaufman’s main character, I was naive enough to think I could instill an appreciation for truth and beauty in my teenage students. My days often felt insane. Why didn’t I put […]
The book that only you can write Read More »
Writing from scratch is harder than cooking from scratch, unless you’re copying someone else’s recipe. When you write from scratch, you must concoct the ingredients, too. The first ingredient of The Girl on the Mountain grew from my dream about a poor child huddled in bushes at the door of a privileged home. An open
Writing from scratch Read More »
I hate this. Starting a new story is as conflicting as having a new baby with the older one crying for attention. But worse: my story offspring are not yet equally loved. I have to force myself to ignore the older and nurture the new. There are a few good side effects. I’m not obsessed with taking care of it. I sleep better.
Overcoming the Story Blues Read More »
