Querying for a book you have written is sort of like asking someone out on a date. Only in this case, you may never get a response, or you get a form letter back, or if you are very lucky, someone may want a first date (e.g. "send me the first fifty pages") or a second date ("Send me the whole thing"). Ack! it is nerve-wracking and makes me wonder why I do it. But, nevertheless, I persist, and have sent several queries for the novel out to various locations. Now I wait. Some take 4-6 months, yes that is MONTHS! The supply far outweighs the demand.

So what to do while waiting? Ski,... Read More...

Anyone else struggling? I'm usually really motivated, but lately I have had to force myself to do much. Writing, forget about it! I can't even spend time reading anymore. I think we all could benefit from off the grid cabins somewhere in the woods, for something like a year. I have an acquaintance who goes into the Alaskan bush every winter to run a trapline with her husband and child. She doesn't have cell service or internet for six months. That sounds pretty good right now.

But we go on. I am on night 32 of backpacking this summer. Normally I do a couple two and three week long... Read More...

I used to be a runner. I guess I shouldn't say used to be, because I still run. But my running is far different than it was. I've been running for.....42 years (yes that ages me, but I was young when I began). I haven't stuck with ANYTHING else that long (except chocolate). Back in the day, I ran fast. My training runs were between 7 and 8 minute miles--I didn't know about easy runs then. Races were in the 6 something range. sometimes very low sixes. I probably had some natural talent that could have been shaped into something, but there weren't really training plans then. You just ran as... Read More...

This weekend I led a writing workshop via Zoom. There were 17 people, and too much to say. I most likely overwhelmed them with all of my talking. There is so much I have learned, but everyone has their own path. 

I asked people to type in the chat about their project. There were all sorts of creative answers. I want to read all of their books! 

So there's this. In spite of the fact that less people are reading, and instead tapping on their phones, in spite of the fact that you don't make any money as an author, in spite of the depressing and divisive state of the world,... Read More...