"The only real access that I have to my mind is when I'm writing." – Kay Ryan
My spouse and I have watched Charlie’s Angels (the one released in 2019) every night since Mother’s Day weekend. I’ll start off by saying that I really don’t understand why it has only a 51% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. Actually, I can probably guess why it has that rating, but I think that rating is horseshit.... Continue Reading →
I think a lot of writers struggle to evaluate their work. We all have days when writing is hard. When that happens to me, I’m ready to take up cat herding or yak wrestling as a way to spend my time, rather than facing another blank page. At other times, the words flow onto the... Continue Reading →
Managing a writing life is more challenging than the average bear might realize. Sure, it seems easy. You sit at a computer or with paper and writing utensil and dream up new worlds, people, and conflicts. Kids around the world do this all day as they play. Storytelling, inventing new games or imaginary friends, and... Continue Reading →
For a few years now, I’ve been working on a les-fic romance novel. I have a completed draft, and I know it has flaws. I’ve been struggling for over a year to find and fix all of its flaws. At first, I struggled with the revision process because I never really learned how to revise... Continue Reading →
I’m not usually a person who finds profound inspiration for life in mundane tasks and chores. That’s why I’m surprising myself by writing this post. A few months ago, we added an adult Chesapeake Bay retriever named Circus to the household. We haven’t had a dog before, and she’s here on a trial basis. I’m... Continue Reading →
Since the results of the Presidential election were announced, a lot of writers and artists have blogged or used social media to talk about their struggles to find the energy needed for creativity. One of the most eloquent—and profane—takes on this feeling comes from the ever-amazing Chuck Wendig, who explains at length about why being... Continue Reading →
Revisions on my romance novel stalled a few months ago. Admittedly, some of the delays were unavoidable. Buying a house and moving took a lot of time and energy, and I’m not going to beat myself up for putting those tasks ahead of my writing. It’s what I needed to do. But I also know... Continue Reading →
I’ve mentioned on this blog that I’m more than a bit obsessed with Hamilton: An American Musical. Like the good fangirl I am, I watched as many news programs and interviews as possible where its creator and star, Lin-Manuel Miranda, talked about the show and his creative process. In an interview with Charlie Rose on... Continue Reading →
On Tuesday, I received the first round of edits on a short story. This story will be my first published work when it appears next month in an anthology. (I’ll announce more details later when we’re closer to the publication date.) This is really my first experience with the editing process. I had heard from... Continue Reading →
Ruth F. Simon 