I am not a mom. I have no plans to be a mom. I’m an aunt. My mother ran a daycare in our home for as long as I can remember. So I do have some experience with children. Just not any of my own. They go home at the end of the day, or … Read more
Once upon a time, and not so very long ago, humans relied on stories to make sense of the world. Fairy tales, folk tales, epic poetry, novels, movies and histories in all their forms tell us what to make of the world. We know this, at some instinctive level, so we tell our kids stories … Read more
This is an open letter to the president elect. He called for advice from those of us who didn’t support him, this is my contribution. Dear President Trump, No, I take that back. There is nothing dear about you right now. Mister Trump, I’ve also left out the “president” part, because I cannot accept … Read more
Vampires are a popular subject these days. There are a million different versions from Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Anne Rice’s angst ridden vampires. You have everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Twilight to True Blood. All of them different. There are vampires for every taste these days from sexy to scary and even sparkly … Read more
I have to confess, I spend a lot of time paying attention to specific kinds of writer’s blogs. In Particular those of Kristin Kathryn Rusch, Dean Wesley Smith, and Chuck Wendig. These, among some others that I don’t follow as regularly, have given me the inspiration and the back bone to face this profession and … Read more
Part of world building is creating culture. Your people have to have a culture unique to their place in their world. Even if you are writing in modern America, it’s important to notice the influence of culture on the choices and assumptions that your characters make. However, since culture is a huge subject that spans … Read more