TweetEver since we were little, my sister and brother (both younger) have taunted me on occasion with one word: “Zooooona!” Pronounced like Sona, but with a Z, and elongated, of course, for dramatic effect.
The word defined those moments when I would just completely space, drift off, staring at a wall or a book or nothing at all really. Where did I go in those moments? They couldn’t comprehend.
For the longest time, though, I thought it was just me. Just one of those weird little quirks that define a person. That …

TweetThere are only two weeks left of school, and for my thesis (which is done and approved — yay!) I had to push myself to write 90 pages in just two months. I’m used to deadlines when it comes to journalism, but not so much in my creative endeavors, and so this was a really intense time.
Having accomplished that thesis mission, I’ve sort of taken a moment to just sit back and breathe a sigh of relief. But I’m quickly realizing that I can’t let myself get too comfortable. Everyone, …

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There’s nothing like being amongst your fellow writers to get you energized about your work — whether it be writing or selling. Luckily, I’ve got my buddies at the New School’s MFA program to motivate me. But sometimes you just need that extra kick in the pants (MFA or not).
That’s why writer’s conferences are like a quick fix of creative adrenaline. A concentrated take on the craft and business of writing, they can really get the creative juices flowing, and get you right into …

TweetThis is so funny. And so true. I think I’ve actually had this conversation before.

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This week, as we all gather our loved ones and our thoughts to give thanks for all the love and luck we’ve received this year, it’s worth taking some time to look back and really take stock. So I decided to create a reverse bucket list of things I’m already thankful I’ve accomplished.

Online forums catering to professional writers were a major help to me when I was just starting out. But they can be somewhat hard to discover if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Here are a few that really worked well for me.

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How do you know when it’s time to tip the balance? You know the one I’m talking about. The one between being mommy and being yourself. The scale is always dipping one way or the other, but for the past eight months — my first few as a mother — it’s definitely been all mama, all the time.
And as fulfilling as it has been, it’s also been exhausting. So for me, it seems the time has come to balance that scale — or …

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I got accepted to grad school yesterday. Shouldn’t I be more excited?
Before we started TTC, my husband and I talked about me going to get my MFA in creative writing, since writing (and selling) a novel is one of my major goals. And knowing me, I need the structure of a program. Plus, with an MFA, I could eventually teach to subsidize my writing habit. So I applied to three schools, all within a half-hour’s commute, all strong programs, all sure to motivate and …

TweetAbout two years ago, before my husband and I officially started TTC, I decided to work from home. In part, this was because of the way my industry was going — magazine publishers were blood-letting, much like many other American companies.
But it was also so I could pursue my dream job of writing novels and screenplays, a passion that was hard to indulge when I was putting in 60-plus hours at the office. In the back of our collective head, though, was also the thought …

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Okay, so I’ve been MIA for a while. I’ve started blogging on the MSN TV Buzz Blog and been otherwise engaged in work-type stuff. I’m also six months pregnant!
But, alas, I haven’t touched my novel since the beginning of the summer — it has been languishing at 20,000 words since June. And with the baby due in February, I now have a real, tangible ticking clock. That means it’s ass-in-gear time for me.
With that said, I’ll be joining the ranks of the writers who do National Novel Writing Month and …