A serious occupational hazard of writing (or any desk job) is a decline in health through inactivity. The issue is getting more attention in the media, now that so many folks spend their days glued to screens. Common wisdom about writing rightly expounds on the...

Eight years ago we moved 300 miles from lush, wet western Washington to arid, agricultural eastern Washington. With us came Ariel, a 12-year-old tortoise shell cat. Had I thought to consult the Character Naming Sourcebook before she was named, I might have chosen...

Being a writer, I have a passion for books. A new book (or, more honestly, several new books) is the one purchase I have a hard time resisting. A while ago my book buying habit got so severe I had to go cold-turkey. For an entire year I didn’t buy one- -not one- -book...

I’ve always understood the concept of being prepared. It’s smart to have an overnight bag packed in case of emergency. If it’s 40 miles to the grocery store, it’s essential to lay in plenty of canned goods and toilet paper. And, when I become a 25 years-in-the-making...

No, I’m not practicing my Elmer Fudd imitation. I’ve been too busy for such entertaining pastimes. I’m revising my manuscript that recently came back from the Line Editor from Hell (aka, my critique partner, Martin McCaw). As a bonus, I’m also helping my husband rid...

One of the elements a writer has to consider for every story is where the story takes place. For one thing, it’s important to have a setting in which the action occurs. But don’t let “place” fool you- -it serves as far more than window-dressing. When we first moved to...