Clik here to view.
The kids know what they like
Any short story can be immediately improved by adding aliens from outer space. This last quarter, I had the extremely awesome privilege of teaching an Intro to Creative Writing course here at EWU. For...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Judging books by their covers
In which I speculate about the subject matter of books I have not read using only their cover art as the basis for said speculations. Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon Two men get lost in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Thesis!
A while back, I barked about my love of choose-your-own-adventure books and how I would really like for someone to write one for adults. Then, last night, I was thinking about my thesis (as I often do...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kazoo – The great equalizer
With a spirograph, everyone's an artist! I was playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” on my kazoo yesterday when I got to thinking about what a truly democratic instrument the kazoo is. I say this not just...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Weird writing habits of 9 super famous authors
Six-toed kitty is Hemingway's muse. Look, I’m about to let you in on a little secret. Great writing isn’t achieved through practice or time or Master’s degrees or the study of craft or the possession...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cat versus dog: What’s the best pet for writers?
CatDog: Best of both worlds. I’ve noticed a lot of writers have pets. This makes sense since writing is a solitary activity, usually engaged in by reclusive, homebound individuals. Were it not for the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The big moment
This scene does not appear in any of my stories. Last Saturday, my boyfriend and I went to a wedding. During the ceremony, a little girl, maybe three years old, sitting directly behind us repeatedly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What your preferred writing instrument says about you
Multicultural pencils. Typewriter: You have a respect for the old traditions. You have a respect for a time when writers had to be thoughtful and deliberate and choose each word carefully, for a time...
View ArticleClik here to view.
There are no new ideas, and that’s okay
Over the summer, I worked at Auntie’s Bookstore in downtown Spokane. One day, I was straightening the “New Arrivals” shelf when I came across a write-up for a book that was alarmingly similar to one of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The gratifying sadness of Doogie Howser, M.D.
The summer I was 24, I moved out of a house I’d been sharing with three other women for the past year and half and into a studio apartment in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. It was my first time...
View Article