Articles
Two Gentlemen of London
Mystery Map

I made a map. But before I tell you about it, let me explain why I made a map… in one sentence: Writers like to procrastinate. If you’re a writer, you know that sentence well. You probably even have it printed on a t-shirt. You probably even took the time out to design and hand-make the t-shirt. I know this well. I have spent many happy hours designing t-shirt ideas: catchy, writerly phrases. Juxtapositions of images and words…
Joy of Writing (Groups)
An Emotional List
Wandering with a Story
Withnail & I

Picture this: A large, empty, cavernous movie theater auditorium in the depths of winter. I’m in a jacket and scarf, and my breath is visible. It’s a matinee screening and no one else came. The lights go down and the ruby red curtains part. A soulful saxophone echoes: a four a.m. version of Procol Harum’s A Whiter Shade of Pale. Up on the screen, a man sits in profile in a darkened sitting room and smokes a cigarette. He’s contemplating the universe, or he’s about to face a firing squad…
Brief Encounters of the Story Kind

Writing a book or a short story is like a relationship. You meet a pretty girl (you think of a cool idea for a plot). You discover the girl is super smart and intelligent (the idea has depth and resonance, and is compelling), and you become even more attracted to her. You start on page one (you ask her out), and there begins your relationship in earnest…