"The only real access that I have to my mind is when I'm writing." – Kay Ryan
My critique partners and writing instructors often comment that my fiction isn’t as emotionally engaging as it could be. That criticism doesn’t surprise me because I know that I have a deep-seated fear of my emotions. For the past five or six months, I’ve been working with a therapist to address those fears. My therapist... Continue Reading →
For some reason, I’ve been thinking about a camping trip I took with my high school science club. I don’t remember which year of high school it was. I think we had three boys and three girls, along with our chemistry/physics teacher as a chaperone. We hiked the Grand Canyon and camped for a few... Continue Reading →
Writers often hear we must avoid using clichés and well-known metaphors in our writing. While that’s usually good writing advice, it can also lead writers to craft metaphors or similes that just… well, fail. (If you want a chuckle, some examples are here.) Sometimes, those clichéd phrases or old sayings feel like the only way... Continue Reading →
A few days ago, an old college acquaintance posted a conversation she’d had with one of her teenage children. They’re both fans of an author who has had a large gap between books in a series. Their conversation was a joking exchange about tying the writer to a chair until they completed the next book.... Continue Reading →
Ruth F. Simon 