tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91886804264746955352011-11-27T16:05:33.509-08:00dscribingnoreply@blogger.comBlogger331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-74593441367242620002009-07-04T13:26:00.001-07:002009-07-04T13:27:16.881-07:00

Putting this blog on hold. Moved over to Wordpress for a blog that is not confined to GC.

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-49813813417465691932009-06-17T07:27:00.000-07:002009-06-17T07:29:29.615-07:00

"140 characters is a novel when you're being shot at." -- tweeted from Iran

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-22909140156890553732009-06-16T12:24:00.000-07:002009-06-16T12:28:56.920-07:00

the debate goes on, sorta... http://www.flatmancrooked.com/archives/3238I'm about to get my MFA from a low residency program. There are disciplines that are well-suited to the online format and writing is one of them. It's been a great experience to have a community that loves books as much as I do. We debate, share, offer moral support, and compare notes (time for a shameless plug for ANNOTATION

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-19355802802956468102009-06-15T20:12:00.000-07:002009-06-15T20:17:45.742-07:00

Green for the Iranian protesters. Not quite the shade, but as close as Blogger gets...Link to Persian novels http://www.mage.com/fictionbooks.htmlAlso at Amazon

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-34177712938047169382009-06-05T08:11:00.000-07:002009-06-05T08:17:51.716-07:00

Please check out Richard Garcia's online classes if you are serious about your poetry. He also offers manuscript and chapbook consultation.  Payment on an hourly basis.you can contact him through his website for more information.http://www.richardgarcia.info/(hint, click on the opening in the bamboo forest to enter site... the dark part, yep, you got it)

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-5789199573032147242009-05-31T13:42:00.001-07:002009-05-31T13:47:15.895-07:00

Too many gray days here - I need sun. Not much to say, so will give you some linksHave fun in France hereand a small rant on Kanye West

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-89506489600856443512009-05-14T11:04:00.000-07:002009-05-14T11:06:46.128-07:00

If you're in Los Angeles this weekend, please stop by the Beverly Hills Art Show Saturday or Sunday 10- 6 and buy something from my friend, sculptor Vicki Banks.Light posting as I finish my MFA.

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-59819196227550734452009-05-07T08:14:00.001-07:002009-05-07T08:17:28.767-07:00

After 10 hours of sleep, I feel much better and ready to write. Doris Lessing maintains that there are no laws for the novel. Still pondering that one. In the meantime... a book of photos that change in the sun.Time to write....

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-70571764211965811952009-05-03T16:28:00.000-07:002009-05-03T18:23:12.778-07:00

I'm not much for mysteries, but this post title made me laugh: The Edgar Winner Group: 2009 Edgar AwardsDecided the best thing to do for creativity today is to take the day off. I am irritated because I thought I had the full text of Edgar Sawtelle on my Kindle and it was only a sample. Unnoticed until they asked me if I want to buy the whole thing. No, Amazon, I'm feeling cranky and am switching

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-29606457095506259962009-05-01T11:23:00.000-07:002009-05-01T11:51:26.418-07:00

One of the things that bothers me in fiction is sloppy or non-existent research. The internet has made research easier, but you have to check sources carefully. We're human and we're going to make mistakes, but my advice is to learn to research in a library the old-fashioned way first so you at least have some idea of what you're looking at online. Example: Toni Morrison's been taken to task for

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-11008626450709811812009-04-30T09:32:00.000-07:002009-04-30T09:47:11.608-07:00

What? You thought I was kidding? Would be kind of interesting to use that map in a book - 7 characters in the 7 main areas around the country or something like that. Looked at the calendar and freaked out - everything for school is due in a few weeks. I have to get busy.

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-53511421772367025792009-04-28T22:09:00.000-07:002009-05-01T15:26:44.252-07:00

No, not me. Though I did go for a 4 mile hike first thing this morning. In another piece of synchronicity, I found this piece on close reading. Nice segue to:It's the launch of Annotation Nation! (cue applause) Kate Maruyama and I are beginning to post annotations and will soon expand. We found annotating books, mostly novels, helpful for our writing. This is not close reading for literary

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-61451572833846131502009-04-28T16:21:00.000-07:002009-04-28T16:33:07.365-07:00

Want to feel better? First, turn off the news, then go here.I took yesterday to go to a taping, then out to dinner with friends.  Back to work.

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-64862913438653912182009-04-25T14:35:00.000-07:002009-04-25T15:19:08.114-07:00

I vote for football. I concede it was perfect weather for the Festival of Books. Not hot, nice breeze, a little on the cool side. But I hate crowds and it was crowded. The first panel was fine, mostly thanks to David Wroblewski. They each read for a couple of minutes from their books - he also read the best, but I imagine he's also had the most practice. Here are a few of his nuggets: without an

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-8842716881274528142009-04-25T09:13:00.000-07:002009-04-25T09:20:04.633-07:00

I seem to recall that this happens regularly: the NFL Draft and the L.A. Festival of Books are on the same weekend. This is a problem for me because I love both books and football. Yes, it's possible. Anyway, I'm going to the book fest. I have tickets for 4 of the panels. And I'll settle for the highlights on the NFL network. Lot of trouble with my right shoulder - a problem for a right-handed

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-81619146781716686992009-04-21T16:51:00.000-07:002009-04-21T17:04:09.154-07:00

Just got my free cone from Ben & Jerry's in Burbank - barely a line, chocolate fudge brownie ice cream and they were collecting for a charity. How outstanding is that? It gets better.... Have to admit I can't remember what I donated to (muscular dystrophy?) because the fireman who served my cone was HOT!  ;-)Then I came home and finished my novel. Okay, kidding about the last bit, but the rest is

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-63250334924180434642009-04-21T12:29:00.001-07:002009-04-21T13:04:49.272-07:00

Last Saturday, I went to a wonderful bbq with about a dozen writers and talk turned to books (I know, real shocker). Our post-grad "to read" pile is growing. Now I have even more to add. The Pulitzers were announced yesterday. Here's the list and the winner for fiction is Olive Kittridge, a collection of short stories. Plague of Doves was the runner-up. Shoot, I just got around to last year's 

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-18306990754686373752009-04-18T09:08:00.000-07:002009-04-18T09:22:37.795-07:00

Received the nicest note this morning from my mentor, Gayle Brandeis. She was full of encouragement, something Dorothy Allison spoke about when she came to Antioch last winter. We writers, all artists, have to keep encouraging each other. It's daunting to keep creating when things take a dip as they inevitably do.Just discovered Martin Levin's blog.  I had the pleasure of meeting him at Book Expo

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-60502825156671359942009-04-17T18:59:00.001-07:002009-04-17T19:44:19.644-07:00

Had a massage this afternoon and it was like receiving a new body. Felt a little weird walking around, as in 'welcome to planet Earth' weird. Before that, however, I worked on the new novel and had coffee with an artist.  Also working on a new project with another writer and when we're up and running, I'll give the details and link, so stay tuned. These are the things that help me after a

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-33527949102760599482009-04-15T14:39:00.000-07:002009-04-15T14:43:04.723-07:00

This is a hard post to write. I did not make the semifinals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards with GROWING CHOCOLATE. I thought I had a solid shot, but either the piece is not strong enough or it's not the right venue. I just returned from a much needed break (little did I know how much I'd need it!). Onward and upward. I do have an idea for a scene in the book I'm working on now, so that's

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-50579558811064588272009-04-07T21:44:00.000-07:002009-04-07T21:52:28.536-07:00

Had to rename one of my characters about 130 pages in and found it traumatic. I'd gotten used to thinking of him a certain way. I should backtrack and say that I take naming characters seriously. I look up names and their meaning, I look at family patterns in naming children, and so on. I think names affect the reader on a subconscious level. So, neurotic me, I took a week to come up with another

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-6822914398079503852009-04-04T11:22:00.000-07:002009-04-07T21:53:39.797-07:00

Sorry I've been so quiet. First, I've heard about a lot of problems when you try to post reviews of GROWING CHOCOLATE (thanks for doing so) or download the excerpt. Please contact Amazon and let them know. There's nothing I can do and if I contact them, they just tell me to have to do it directly so there you are.Received an email awhile ago that I was in the semi-finals of another contest,

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-19591457345082283762009-03-21T10:16:00.000-07:002009-03-21T10:33:16.442-07:00

For you BSG fans out there, cupcakes! I like it that there are whole blogs about baconThanks to my mentor and friend, Gayle Brandeis, for mentioning my Amazon entry on her blog. She's so sweet and generous, plus she asks the best questions that lead me to improve my writing.If you want to live vicariously in France, check out ceci n'est pas une blogAlso, Rhonda Mitchell,one of my fellow mentees

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-90382987657003843762009-03-19T17:00:00.000-07:002009-03-20T12:37:53.117-07:00

Looks like I won't be participating in next Friday's reading after all. The venue isn't quite right. GROWING CHOCOLATE deals with the death of child, cutting and other serious themes not suitable for family night at a Y! There will be other opportunities. Brings up the question of when to say 'yes' to readings. Not all venues are suitable. You have to think about your target audience - who are

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-33690625291459667922009-03-17T10:54:00.001-07:002009-03-17T10:58:51.287-07:00

Thanks for the great reviews! For those I've heard from who have had problems, don't forget to log in to your Amazon account first. Today's a great day and I'm off to be in the studio audience for Dancing with the Stars. Please vote for my friend, Gilles Marini. We've been so blessed by our friendship with him and his family.

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-48133220749354504362009-03-16T23:28:00.000-07:002009-03-16T23:30:14.496-07:00

I made it to the quarterfinals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest! They winnowed it down from 10,000 to 500. Please help me out by posting a positive review here. The ones with the greatest number of positive reviews move on to be reviewed by Penguin Books. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it. Thanks for all of your support. Here's the address:http://www.amazon.com/dp/

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-16083104472625880192009-03-12T12:12:00.000-07:002009-03-12T12:28:25.549-07:00

Did not win the lottery after all. I'd probably be in the Caribbean if I had. No, I'd still be here trying to figure out where I'm going in the current novel. I entered the first 8K words in Narrative's Story contest - mostly to force me to finish the thing. Did I resolve to write 3 pages a day? How foolish. No, there's a lot of writing, deleting, writing, rewriting, adding a few words to a

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-24299333419468310872009-02-27T17:11:00.001-08:002009-02-27T17:17:38.885-08:00

Writing took a backseat to real life, but I'm getting back on track. Worked on material for my senior lecture today, including a draft of the handout. 7 pages seems a bit long, but we'll see.Finished Carl Hiaasen's LUCKY YOU. I played the lotto numbers that open the book today for laughs. Now that would be a great story if they hit. Next up is THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG by Muriel Barbery and

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-91126565301436247672009-02-19T09:24:00.001-08:002009-02-19T10:07:41.089-08:00

It's been a week for strange stories. Robert McKee, screenwriting guru, said that people do bizarre or awful things more often and worse than you can imagine. They also have things happen to them that would challenge the most vivid imagination. Add in accidents, mistakes and catastrophes, and real life usually outdoes fiction. The crash of Continental Flt 3407 took the life of a 9/11 widow. She

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-16033241744098567122009-02-18T20:26:00.001-08:002009-02-18T20:43:42.821-08:00

Been catching up on movies this week. A friend is having an Oscar party so I may as well be prepared. Started the week with THE WRESTLER - good film, hard to watch for a few reasons. Yesterday, saw DOUBT and THE READER, both written by playwrights so it was interesting to see them on the same day. You could see the play in DOUBT. Both good, well acted. Today, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (book was better,

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-63735138342543326352009-02-13T08:08:00.000-08:002009-02-13T08:32:34.323-08:00

...kept me up all night, that is. But mystery solved - same reason my shoulder has been going into spasm off and on for a few months. Back on this morning. It's the caffeine. Now the search begins for an excellent decaffeinated Darjeeling. Art of Tea makes an amazing caramelized pear tea that I have every day. Chado in Pasadena has some very nice teas and I will stop in after the chiropractor

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-34050016349105807112009-02-12T11:03:00.001-08:002009-02-12T11:12:05.113-08:00

Enrolled in the MFA Creative Writing program at Antioch University, Los Angeles about a year and a half ago. It's one of the best things I've ever done. I love the program which finishes up in June. I finally finished rewriting GROWING CHOCOLATE and entered it in the Amazon/Penguin contest. I don't know whether to be optimistic or not. I have learned that what I feel at any given moment about my

dscribingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9188680426474695535.post-70602467197341205552007-06-27T17:15:00.000-07:002009-02-12T11:02:57.209-08:00

Getting back to blogging, once I get through a rough patch in the novel.

dscribingnoreply@blogger.com