Category: Writing Problems

  • Edith Wharton on Writing a War Story…or a Love Story…or a Comedic Story…or a Story Story

    In September 1919, Woman’s Home Companion published a lovely little nugget of story by Edith Wharton. “Writing a War Story” is the tale of Ivy Spang, a poetess-turned-short-story-writer. Working as a nurse in France during WWI, Miss Spang is commissioned by an editor at the magazine “The Man-at-Arms.” He tells her that he wishes her to…

  • Working on New Stuff: Weirdness

    It’s weird to be working on something outside my comfort zone. Novels for adults=Fine. I can handle that. So far I’ve finished two first drafts. I could put in as many curse words, as much violence, as much sex as I wanted. But it’s so weird writing something geared toward a younger crowd (my guesstimation…

  • Title In Question

    Recently, one of my good writer friends has been having trouble coming up with a good title for her young adult novel. Recently, at a critique meeting, one of the critiquers said that she did not like the title of my book…that she would not pick it up off the shelf. Burn? you ask. Eh,…

  • Place for the desk, take 2

    This last week has been a trial, let me tell you. Yes, everything mechanical was breaking…car, toaster, you name it. Now my desk will be in a new corner in a new place. The house has become far too expensive and, of all things, we are having to move in with family. Yep, and right…