I thought that I would sit down and pop off a draft that I would send to a couple of friends, get their comments, make some changes and shoot off to an agent who could not wait to represent me. It would all be so easy. I mean how hard can it be to put thoughts into words? Well, my first book went through 14 drafts mostly because I did not know what I was doing. I was learning to write at a professional level. I know have eight readers who agree to read the manuscript and make

Since I have been published, now when I read I do it not only for enjoyment but also to learn. Each of the authors we read has something to tell us about how we should or could write. Here are a few of my favorite authors, and what they teach me. John Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors. The first chapter of The Grapes of Wrath is masterful; the stark description of the dry land, dust flying in the air, the withering of plants under the scorching sun. The emotions from ea

My story ideas come from everywhere. Most of them come to me just when I am waking up, reading, driving, or listening to music. I hear a line from a song that touches me in some way or see someone doing something as I drive along and that triggers a thought. I read every night in bed for at least an hour and keep a notepad and pen on my nightstand. A line or phrase triggers a thought about my current story. #photo