Writer Unboxed

On my blog, Flogging the Quill, I do critiques (frequently including line edits) of the opening 16 lines of novels submitted by writer/readers. I have reasons for doing it—platform-building, maybe getting some editing business—but mostly it’s fun to do, and rewarding to help other writers see shortcomings and strengths in their writing.
Best of all, perhaps, […]

I’ve just come back from a few weeks overseas, mainly in France, where my family originally comes from. It was great being back there, seeing everyone, spending time in both Paris and the South (where the family hails from). It was lucky too that my stay coincided with some particularly beautiful spring weather, with the […]

I admit it, I’m a big fan of gimmicky presents for writers: the latest craft book, a coffee cup that says “Writers Do It With Words” or a brand-new Moleskin journal. My friends and family know this and my work space is loaded with them. Many of these items are cute and […]

Therese and I are starting to get it together again after returning from our annual writer’s retreat. For the fifth year in a row, we–along with fellow writer-buddy Elena Greene–rented a cottage in a beautiful setting, left instructions for spousal units to feed and care for offspring, and gave ourselves permission to immerse in […]

Last week we blogged about Emmy Cherry, an eleven-year-old girl tragically killed when a tornado ripped through her home in Arkansas. Emmy was a big fan of former WU contributor Victoria Holmes‘ massive YA bestselling series WARRIORS, which she conceptualized.
I’d been thinking about Emmy all week, as I have a daughter her age who […]

Kathleen and Therese step in for a second to officially welcome Barbara Samuel to the forum. This is her first post.
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“If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” ~Raymond Inmon
I am a great believer in walking. Not speed walking or to […]

We get a fair few fans of Erin Hunter’s bestselling YA Warriors series to WU because we were lucky enough to interview authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry, who write the books under the pen name Erin Hunter, as well as the brains behind the series, senior editor Victoria Holmes, who is an accomplished author […]

The other day I engaged in the grim task of cleaning out my e-mail inbox. It had become loaded with messages, some of which were over seven years old. My long-suffering Eudora program gave me the dire warning to clean this crap out or it would quit on me.
Of course, I couldn’t help opening up […]

Fair warning and disclaimer: my state of mind is extremely fragmented at the moment.  New state, new apartment, new car, new life.  All of which means that this month’s ramblings may be less coherent than usual.  If such a thing is possible.
I’m still getting settled in. I’ve had more days at the computer in my […]

A really interesting set of studies came out of Johns Hopkins recently, showing what happened to jazz performers when improvising music. Are there lessons here for writers, too?
This, from Science Daily:
A pair of Johns Hopkins and government scientists have discovered that when jazz musicians improvise, their brains turn off areas linked to self-censoring and […]

On the 14th of February, I began a five-day drive from Minot, North Dakota to Austin, Texas.  I drove a 14-foot U Haul, loaded down with the sum total of my worldly life.  Apart from a couple of stops specifically designed for visiting people I love, my days were a chain of monotonously similar events, […]

This is a strange time for me, writing-wise, because I’m not plotting fresh text or even editing old stuff. I’m thick in the marketing stage of this game. Add to that, my Odyssey of the Mind team competes in FOUR days, so my time is limited. Yes, I’m courting some new story ideas, but it […]