Journal

When I’m teaching writing, one of the things I talk about puppetry a lot. In particular, I talk about the way it taught me to practice and how I apply that to fiction. It’s why I like taking classes that will stretch my skill set. I’ve been a professional puppeteer for over twenty years. Most

“Let him have all the perfections in the world, I think it ought not to be set down as certain, that a man must be acceptable to every woman he may happen to like himself.” — Fanny Price in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park In fain was her “Pray, sir, don’t–pray, Mr. Crawford,” repeated twice over,

One of the neighborhood kids just rang the front bell and asked if we wanted our porch, steps, and walk shoveled for $10. I said, “Yes, but let me make sure I have cash.” As I was running upstairs, I heard him go, “Yes!” I imagine the fist-pump, but I’m sure it was there. I

If you want to, you can read “The Wind Comes” my erotic fanfiction is up for download. That’s the story I wrote as part of the Worldbuilder’s fundraiser. Knowing you, I suspected you’d want to know a bit about how I wrote it. The voice parts, not the sexy fun times. To write this, I

At writing retreats, it’s awkward sometimes because it’s hard to tell when someone is writing or just goofing off. So I made a tri-fold sign that I rotate to make it clear if I’m Writing, doing Other Work, or Goofing Off. Since we just mentioned the sign on the latest edition of Writing Excuses, I

For the Worldbuilders fundraiser, I said that I’d write Kvothe erotica fanfiction, which I’ve done. That’s turned in and will be posted soon. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, Kvothe is the main character in Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear. I love these books so it was a lot

I just finished the 3200 word Kvothe erotica fan fiction that I promised Pat Rothfuss as part of the Worldbuilder’s Fundraiser. As per usual my usual writing routine, I would like to have some folks read it before I turn it in. Unlike what I usually do, I’m only taking ten readers. Why? Because it’s

In Valour and Vanity, I have a scene in which Lord Byron makes up some verses for Jane and Vincent. The existing poem that would work was from 1816, and the novel is set in 1817. Since the scene needed something that he had not yet written, that meant I either needed a poem from later

When Patrick Rothfuss emails you and says “Would you like to–” your answer is yes, regardless of the rest of that sentence. In this case, he asked if I’d like to offer a stretch goal for Worldbuilders, which is a fantastic charity that raises money for Heifer International. He said I could do anything so… This