I’m making pies this year for Thanksgiving. If you have never made a pie from scratch, the pumpkin pie is a tough one. I know it looks like a fairly straightforward pie, but it can be a nightmare. You need to hit somewhere between smooth, custardy, pudding and earthy, root vegetable, without falling into snotty,…
I love snow. It’s all soft edges, but crisp and biting. Snow is moody. I don’t mind the cold. It reminds me of being a little girl. Fresh on a mountain or plowed to the side of the road. There’s magic in snow, maybe I love the magic. I live in the desert. If I…
He took her breath away. It has been written a million times. I’ve written it myself. Of course he’s not literal taking the air out of her lungs. That would lead to gasping and a really ugly ordeal. He’s making her feel like she can’t breath, either physically, or my favorite, without even touching her.…
My hands still smell like garlic. I washed them at least three times last night and again this morning, but as I type, I still catch a whiff. I can’t cook, so I’m often relegated to prep work. I really don’t chop well either, but sometimes I like to help out. I minced garlic last…
We are What We Believe Ourselves to Be. I have these little quotes, word groups, prophetic prose, that I print and magnet up on the board behind my computer. I face a wall in my office, so I try to make it a pretty wall. These little statements usually change every week. Sometimes they are…
Characters. When I write, it starts with the characters. Some writers are inspired by places, or objects, or scenes. I need the characters first. I have to know them, all their wonderful qualities, what makes them tick, how they’re damaged, and their quirks. Quirks are my favorite, I actually collect them. They make a character…
Above all else, I like quirky. Add intelligent to quirky and I’m a goner. I love John McIntrye. You may, or may not, know that he was the copy editor and is now a production manager for the Baltimore Sun. No, I do not live in Maryland, but he is a pretty big deal. Mr.…
There’s nothing left to write. It’s all been written, I’m out of ideas and stories and…well, I’m done. I was going to write about Dexter’s season finale. Really? Is that what it’s come to? I’m now doing television show reviews? I don’t even watch television, remember? Well, maybe I watch a little now, but television…