Living Echoes, one of my current fiction WIP (Works in Progress) lives! It's been over a year since I reported on this novel's progress. The construction of alternating short "now" scenes and longer "then" scenes has made it difficult to write. But this summer I've felt compelled to finish it. Writers often talk about reaching "The … Continue reading Living Echoes lives
Doubling time
Nearly every writer feels pulled. Pulled between writing compulsion and family commitments. It can feel like being the increasingly fraying rope in a tug-of-war. In a writing course I once took, I was challenged to consider the hours poured into relational commitments as doubling my time. Instead of thinking that I'm being pulled away from … Continue reading Doubling time
Simmering fiction WIP
Writers often refer to their current WIP (Work In Progress). Since I am always working on several projects, I'm thinking of adopting the acronym MWIVGIP (Multiple Works In Various Genres In Progress). But it seems a tad awkward and I'm not sure how I'd pronounce it. One of my two current novels has a complicated … Continue reading Simmering fiction WIP
Supplemental fiction
After getting past some big deadlines, including a couple of speaking engagements, I designated today for a full day dedicated to writing fiction. I intended to write only fiction, nothing but fiction, all day. It's over three hours since I first entered the office and I've yet to write one word of fiction. I'd hoped … Continue reading Supplemental fiction
Nano null, but not void
Here we are: the last day of November. For hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, that means the last day of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Some are sleeping in this morning because they've reached their goal of 50,000 words in a new novel. Some are typing "The End" with a smile on … Continue reading Nano null, but not void
Paralysis prescription
All month I’ve struggled to write words in my newest NaNo novel. I often fight what I call “paralysis,” when I simply cannot seem to write. It seems far more serious than mere writer’s block because it extends beyond the inability to write and freezes my thinking. During these times of paralysis, I find it … Continue reading Paralysis prescription
NaNoWriMo or No?
Do you hear that hum? It's the sound generated by fiction writers all over the globe gearing up for the annual madness of NaNoWriMo. You may well ask, "What in the world is NaNoWriMo?" NaNoWriMo is code for National Novel Writing Month, an online extravaganza in which participants attempt to write a novel of at … Continue reading NaNoWriMo or No?
Preacher heritage (Gilead-2)
Welcome to Fiction Friday and my blog book club! In last Friday's post, I invited you to join me in discussing Gilead, a novel by Marilynne Robinson. It's worth noting that Robinson's writing successes span genres; she's published different types of nonfiction as well as fiction. That's what I want to be when I grow up: an inter-genrational author. Today's … Continue reading Preacher heritage (Gilead-2)
Soul balm (Gilead-1)
How would you like to read a book with me? What do you say we read a bit in a novel each week and then meet here on Fridays to discuss what we've read? Doesn't that sound like a great idea? Okay, I confess. I got this great idea from Tim Challies, who has been … Continue reading Soul balm (Gilead-1)
Words in the Wind
This week my friend, Yvonne Anderson, launched the second in her "Gateway to Gannah" series, Words in the Wind. Readers of the first book, Story in the Stars, will be happy to know that Dassa and Pik are back, but won't be surprised to hear that both are faced with the biggest challenges of their lives. Marooned … Continue reading Words in the Wind
Glenda Faye Mathes 