Dynamic Setting
“The setting is like a character.” It’s a strange phrase, when you think about it, but it’s one I hear increasingly often in workshop. And so lately I’ve been wondering what people really mean by this, for setting to be “like…
Finding True North (even when it is called South)
Let us suppose that an era comes, an era of undetermined length, where words come unmoored from meaning. A word like “compassionate” say. No problem. Easy enough to hang onto the definition: To be compassionate is to both understand and…
7 Things I Learned From Writing My First Novel Draft
In 2016, I finished the first draft of my novel. Here’s a few nuggets of wisdom, for those embarking on their first drafts.
YA Wednesday: Racism and Sexuality
Rather than shy away from hot-button issues, YA fiction tends to do the opposite and embrace them. Why not? Young people aren’t afraid to deal with Uncomfortable Truths and Difficult Conversations. Some of the best, most cutting-edge YA books deal…
The Genius of Thomas Wolfe
I wanted to see the movie, Genius, because it was about Maxwell Perkins, the famed editor of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. But it is really about Perkins’ relationship with Thomas Wolfe, who I’m embarrassed to say, I had…
Dead Darlings Scheduled Downtime
Dead Darlings is getting a much needed upgrade so we will be down for maintenance on Saturday (3/18) through Sunday (3/19). We’ll be back in business on Monday 3/20!