Recently I’ve been having a lot of trouble staying on task. I’m approaching the end of the book (or at least the end of the first draft), but for some reason it’s become really hard to run this last lap. For help, I looked to Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, which was rated reasonably…
Dream a Little Dream
Did you ever have a really good idea for a story when you were asleep? Or, at least, an idea that you thought was really good — until the sleep haze wore off and you realized that the storyline that was so captivating in your dream doesn’t… well… make any sense whatsoever? This happens to…
Tag! I’m it!
So, Becky over at Suburban Matron tagged me, which means I am now obligated to (1) post seven interesting facts about myself and (2) tag somebody else, if I can think of anyone to tag. So, forthwith: Seven Facts About Jane 1. My husband, Mark, is precisely nine months older than me. We like to…
I Could Really Go For an Overpriced Sissy Drink About Now
Over the past several months I’ve been toting my laptop out to the Borders and working there. It’s been a big win for me, productivity-wise. I don’t get distracted by the chores that need doing around the house. There’s no refrigerator to poke around in. And I’m about 100% less likely to curl up in…
OMG I’m 31!
I recently had a birthday and went around telling everybody it was my 30th. Apparently I’ve hit early senility, because it was actually my 31st. Mark was kind enough to keep it a secret from me until I figured it out for myself, during the course of a conversation that went a little something like…
All the Little Breadcrumbs
So, I finished Along Came a Spider, which I enjoyed very much. It wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it was by no means the Hacksville one might have expected after hearing how other mystery writers talk about James Patterson. One of the things that really makes it work is the trail of tension Patterson…
James Patterson, Come on Down
I’ve decided that, much as I want to, I simply can’t read exclusively research materials while I’m working on my book. I tried to do it, but that’s just not how I roll. I’m going to have to read some fiction. So I decided to mix in some Breakout Novels: books that were such a…
Mark Read the Book
So, Mark read the book, and I can tell you there is just about no better feeling than hearing the love of your life laugh out loud while he’s reading your stuff. … Laugh at the funny parts, I mean.
You Know What’s Interesting?
There’s a scene during the (wildly disappointing) final season of the Sopranos that sticks with me. Christopher, a recovering drug addict, is dating another addict who he met in rehab. They have fallen off the wagon together, and are sitting around her living room, doped out of their minds. Christopher turns to her and says,…
Naming Scenes
So, to lead myself through the endless quagmire that is Making-A-Sensible-Plot-Out-Of-All-My-Ideas, I’ve created a Master Excel file. In it, each scene has a name, along with a word count, plot summary, and notes on possible revisions. One of the fun parts is trying to think of names for the scenes: names that are evocative enough…