“All writing is rewriting” doesn’t necessarily mean that the stages of writing are progressively easier. It means that a piece of writing is a constant work in progress until it’s placed into the hands of the reader.
Category: Writing
A Tale of Two Novels
Are you stuck in the middle of writing your first novel and can't imagine ever writing "the end?" Maybe writing doesn't "fit" with your life right now. Or you can't find the time. Or the confidence. I understand. It took me nearly a decade to write my first novel. My second novel took six months. … Continue reading A Tale of Two Novels
Homeschool: Standards are Good. Flexibility is Key.
Chronic illness. Professional obligations. Faith. Safety. These are just a few reasons parents homeschool their children. Some families travel or move a lot, so homeschool makes more sense than irregular attendance or constantly changing schools. Many students don’t thrive in a traditional school setting. Other children are prodigiously talented and need unusual amounts of time … Continue reading Homeschool: Standards are Good. Flexibility is Key.
Trying Something New: Reading List 2018
I love to read, always have. As a girl I plowed through all of Louisa May Alcott’s novels and anything by L.M. Montgomery. I devoured biographies of Clara Barton, Marie Curie, and George Washington Carver. I read everything on my shelf, on my older brother’s shelf, and on the acres of white wooden shelves that lined … Continue reading Trying Something New: Reading List 2018
Wasps and Leaves
He asked me this last night, his words tripping over each other. His little hand tightened on my forearm as he waited for my answer. It’s been deliciously cool lately--a presentiment of fall in the early days of July--and the mornings are especially fine. I said yes.
A Still Small Voice
I. A Still Small Voice If ravenous winds didn’t claw your house apart Turn it upside down And shake everything loose-- Every dark crevice and dust-filmed corner robbed of their secrets-- Would you still, even now Just be sitting there on the porch, cool evening, Begging for a revelation While a quiet breath brushed your … Continue reading A Still Small Voice
Life With Five Kids
It’s like herding cats into the shower, then feeding them caviar from gold-plated bowls monogrammed with diamonds. (Okay, so you probably don’t need me to tell you that it’s sometimes crazy and expensive.) Thankfully, there’s a lot of joy and laughter as well. And most of the time, it’s just plain fun. Way more fun … Continue reading Life With Five Kids
Cure Homesickness: Write a Novel
Two years ago I began writing a story. We had moved from our home on the central California coast to Virginia, and I was homesick for the mountains, the cool coastal air, the golden evening light--the familiar beauty of our former home. For several months, I used my writing to capture memories of California, fearful … Continue reading Cure Homesickness: Write a Novel
How to Write a Novel in Ten Years
I recently read a Pulitzer Prize winner that took the writer about a decade to complete. What a coincidence! My first novel took me nearly ten years to finish. Now, I doubt Anthony Doerr followed my process when he knocked together All the Light We Cannot See, but if you’re looking to write a … Continue reading How to Write a Novel in Ten Years
Spring (Finally)
This poem lay dormant for months, seeded in the waning days of autumn, when I wrote Anthem. Finally, spring is here with "A shout of triumph / An anthem of joy." Tight, verdant buds dot the naked limbs laid bare in winter, and a chartreuse film covers the ground greened in new grass raised from … Continue reading Spring (Finally)
In the Quiet 