Journal
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How Books Resemble Flowers
Writing a story is like growing a flower in the sense that you can’t rush it. The plant won’t bloom if you don’t give it the care it requires: some need more water, others wither if you give them too much. I learned through gardening and writing that it’s best not to control things too…
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A Whisper in a Daydream on a Hill
Recently I learned that a friend with whom I had been very close a few years ago died suddenly. I don’t know the details and don’t think I could handle getting into them. It has unearthed a whole new set of emotions in me, things I had only read about before in books. There’s the…
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A Place of Light
This is another excerpt from my journal that I would like to share. It needs editing, but I liked it, and hope you will too! There’s a lot of light in this place. It’s a haven of pure air and high spirits. It makes me feel like there’s no darkness left in my reality; by…
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On Storytelling
What does it mean to be a storyteller? Stories are places of refuge for people frightened by the realities of this world. They provide rest when we are too weak to dwell on reality. Story is salve for the wounds inflicted by life. A well-told story comforts us. We seek depth and meaning. We find…
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The Garden and the Trilogy
Sometimes the cure to Writer’s Block—and to Reader’s Burnout—is to do something else. Some of you might have known that already, but I’ve been stubborn for years, refusing to think myself capable of taking up another hobby with the passion I felt for literature. Then I took up gardening. The dining room window looks like…
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Adventures in French
They say to pay attention to what interests you most, because it is part of you. In the past, if asked what my passion was in life, I would likely have responded, “Writing.” I would have said without hesitation that I lived for story, nothing more and nothing less, but as we grow, we learn.…
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The Book Inspired by Peru
It took a few weeks, but I was right: a new environment will inspire you with dozens of ideas. My idea for a book set in new territory has finally come to me! When we first arrived in Peru back in December, I knew it would happen. Perhaps I would meet a person who wanted to…
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Being a Traveling Pantser
I will always be a pantser, no matter where in the world I’m writing. I had a loose outline for the third book of my series. I even made index cards by taking a notebook and cutting its pages into rectangles – I guess it’s easier for me to use index cards that aren’t real…
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On Mermaid Tales & Short Stories
I may have completed edits for Serenade (which I still expect to release sometime in October,) but that doesn’t mean I’ve stepped away from these characters and their adventures. It has been a fun week of world-building and character profiling. My personal copy of Dissonance is currently full of sticky notes! They were placed to…
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Writing Update: On Short Novels
I’m taking another break from editing Serenade, and thought this an appropriate time for an update. I get so caught up in the editing process that I forget to tell people how I’m doing. I’ve learned many things since editing began, but perhaps the biggest lesson is that my books tend to be short. It’s been a…
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The Start of Serenade Beta
Well, guys–it’s begun. Earlier this year I completed a draft of Serenade coherent enough to show other people, but since it’s still a little rusty, it’s time to enter the beta reading phase. What is beta reading? It means I find people I trust who are willing to give me some of their time in order…
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“my blood is a mix of coffee & tea”
Recently I spoke to a friend about writing, specifically poetry. A couple of verses I wrote came to mind, verses I feel define me: my blood is a mix of coffee & tea and words from authors long dead I wondered, how much of me is made of the words of authors long dead? Where do their…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 