Almost every book of advice on writing will tell you to read your work aloud. I find lots of advice to be either incompatible with my wonky process (yes, I can draw a plot graph but it never seems to help) or completely impossible (write my entire book again, from scratch, for the second draft? […]
On Reading Aloud
January 24th, 2025 · No Comments
Tags: Writing
My Favorite Reads of 2024
January 6th, 2025 · No Comments
This year’s total was 143 (give or take a few physical books I may have missed), of which 48 (33%) were non-fiction. The non-fiction percentage is down from 2023, but I maintain that Tony Judt’s Postwar and Caroline Elkins’ Legacy of Violence both count as at least two books. As always, here are some of […]
Tags: Books
What were your favourite reads in 2024?
December 29th, 2024 · No Comments
I’ll be posting my list of top reads and final tally of books read later this week, but earlier this year I’d already decided on my favourites for the annual “Best Books of 2024” list for the Shepherd.com book recommendation site. The great thing about this list is that it doesn’t focus only on what […]
Tags: Books · Uncategorized
On Turning 65
December 15th, 2024 · 2 Comments
That’s a formal title for a rather anti-climatic event. I turned 65 last week and enjoyed some lovely celebrations. Most of my thoughts on aging have centered on how to get my Presto card updated to Senior so I can get my discount. Not very introspective, I admit. I have the usual tangle of feelings […]
Tags: News
A day late – but done!
December 1st, 2024 · No Comments
Made my 10,000 word target – though the usual quality caveats apply. I’m definitely feeling my way through this part, stranded in a world of foggy details, mysterious motivations, and uncertain outcomes. Though it was rather fun brainstorming oddities that one might find in an imaginary world made of glass. My mantra was BE WEIRDER! […]
Tags: Writing
“Notnowrimo” Progress
November 22nd, 2024 · No Comments
Well, it could be worse. I’m about 600 words behind target, mostly because I had one of those “wait, no, she can’t possibly know X at this point, because that will change how she relates to Y” moments and that threw me right off. In the end, I decided to just bull on ahead, assumes […]
Tags: Writing
NotNoWriMo
November 8th, 2024 · No Comments
For various reasons, I didn’t sign up to do Nanowrimo this year – so I’m doing Notnowrimo instead. My goal is the usual 10,000 words and so far I’m on target. Also as usual, no guarantees of quality and likelihood of surviving a purge are offered. I’m working on the Glass World novel until the […]
Tags: Writing
New “3 Best Books I Read 2024” list now posted
October 28th, 2024 · No Comments
The wonderful book recommendation site Shepherd.com once again asked me to contribute my best reads for 2024 (read in 2024 vs published in 2024, which is why one of my recommendations was published in 1959. At least the other two came out in 2023…. You can read my list here, but be sure to check […]
Tags: Books
What I read, Q3 2024
October 21st, 2024 · No Comments
Time for the reading update. FICTION The Shamshine Blind, Paz Pardo. California noir set in a world in which Argentina defeated the US thanks to the use of psychopigments, colourful chemicals that produce emotion on contact. Our heroine is a the classic downtrodden detective hero – a Psychopigment Enforcement Agent caught up in a tangled […]
Tags: Books
It’s September – where am I?
October 6th, 2024 · No Comments
I was home for a grand total of 4 1/2 days last month. I had a great time, but I admit my own bed was welcome on September 30th. First up, two weeks at the cottage. Fabulous weather for walking, swimming (we only missed 3 days), lounging, eating, visiting, reading…. all the usual cottage things. […]
Tags: Travel