When he was well up into his seventies my father, William David Phillips, once confessed (although it wasn't really a confession) okay, he "revealed" to me that he had an imaginary life. This is something quite different from just day-dreaming, I believe, although it is related. An imaginary life is something fully realized, detailed, compelling, … Continue reading The Secret Life of William David Phillips
Category: writing
SIBSL, or Should I Be So Lucky
I am 16 pages from finishing a seven-month revision of my YA sci-fi/fantasy novel. and plan to wrap it up today or tomorrow. This is draft 13. It's been through a round of revisions with a smart and savvy agent and had feedback from another. My beta readers are within 40 pages of the end. … Continue reading SIBSL, or Should I Be So Lucky
Update on My Psychotic Break
Update on My Psychotic Break. The airy voices have returned and my writing seems to have broken through some kind of barrier and reached a new level, one where I stop farting around. Clarity, maybe?Finished the excellent history of Spain by my brother and sister-in-law listed below. The writing sings; you can hear their wry, … Continue reading Update on My Psychotic Break
Brilliant Writing Prompts
Donald Maass, agent and writing coach extraordinaire, has tweeted and put up on the agency website a set of absolutely kick-ass writing prompts. Read them and weep.
First Annual Dibby Hill Awards for Literature
So, 57 books in 2010. Off my mark from last year. But some fabulous reading.I'm inclined to pass out awards, the First Annual Dibby Hill Awards for Literature:Most Unforgettable: Dog Boy, Eva HornungBest Novel: 2666, Roberto BolonaBest Mystery/Thriller: The Girl Who Played with FireBest Juvenile Fiction: Catching Fire, Suzanne CollinsBest Non-Fiction: The Hemmingses of Monticello, … Continue reading First Annual Dibby Hill Awards for Literature
No, No Nano
So I am not doing NaNoWriMo because I'm concentrating on revising my middle-grade sci-fi novel, Invasion. And writing some on my current WIP, Rosalita, a YA urban paranormal.I have gotten some fascinating feedback on Invasion from two first-rate agencies with permission to resubmit after revisions. And from Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank, and its sequels.The … Continue reading No, No Nano
The Death of Nano
Well, I am not going to "win" Nano this year. I am at 37,611 and that is where I take my stand. That's a lot of words, and I have made tremendous progress on two separate projects, but STILL have not finished either one. One is a revision and I completely rewrote the last seven … Continue reading The Death of Nano
What a Writer Is Up Against
This is a brilliant assessment of the publishing industry today. The most chilling to me is number 4: if you are lucky enough to hit the target: "the corporation will see a spike in your profit and sort of autistically, or at least automatically, raise the profit goal for your division by some corporately predetermined … Continue reading What a Writer Is Up Against
Rococo
A bit of good news! The screenplay I've been writing for the past couple of years with my BFF Susan Baronoff (Emmy-award-winning reality TV writer and producer) placed in the semi-finals (top 20) of a major screenwriting contest, Acclaim Films. This is absolutely fantastic. Check out more about the contest and the screenplay.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
When I finished The Story of Edgar Sawtelle Monday night, I really had to stop myself from throwing it at the wall. I absolutely loved it for more than 400 pages and then the ending was a total, unbelievable mess--a hodge-podge of literary allusions from King Lear to Call of the Wild to Rebecca to … Continue reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
