Notes from the writing retreat
I've been revising the novel again. As it gets heftier, getting a full sense of all that's in there gets tough. I really wanted to …Read More
Category Archives: Creativity
My favorite memories from 2013
I’ve spent some time over my past few non-working, non-blogging days thinking about the ending year. It was a good one. Here are some of …Read More
The art of struggle
This week I visited one of the Mastery charter schools in Philadelphia as part of a project on teacher and principal quality I’m doing for …Read More
Top 5 albums that conjure up memories
Earlier this year, I read Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity. One of the novel’s recurring themes is the characters trying to list their top 5 albums …Read More
Giving and getting gifts
There are different philosophies of giving and getting gifts. One is that this is somewhat of a transactional process. You definitely want to give the …Read More
Variety is the spice of work
Whenever people ask how to make a living as a writer, veterans in the field tend to offer this tip: specialize. You become known for …Read More
Setting the scene
I've been spending a lot of time lately revising my novel. It's set in a small town in Pennsylvania, and while the town is fictional, …Read More
Confessions of an occasional night owl (plus basketball)
One of the funny things that comes from writing about great morning routines is that people assume you are a morning person. I am not. …Read More
The magic in a messy playroom
With three kids, you accumulate a fair number of toys. They’re generally stored in the basement playroom, but they have a tendency to spread around …Read More
Back in the groove (and my outtakes file)
Last week, I was feeling pretty unhappy about the novel. I picked it up for the first time in a few months, and as I …Read More