Dec 10, 2014 | The Writing Life
I’ve lived with three cats for a while now. You might say I’m a crazy cat lady in training, and I’m fine with that. If I wasn’t limited by budget, time, and space, I’d probably have a few bunnies, a huge aquarium, a parrot, and a hedgehog...
Dec 9, 2014 | The Writing Life
Have you heard of Zoe Sugg? This British fashion, beauty, and lifestyle vlogger has earned quite the impressive following. At only 24 years old, she has 2.62 million followers on Twitter and over 6.5 million subscribers on YouTube. In spite of this success, a lot of...
Dec 3, 2014 | The Writing Life
The frantic writing sessions. The cheering. The constant accountability. The camaraderie. It’s over. Another NaNoWriMo has come and gone, leaving me strangely bereft. I miss it. I’m a freak of nature, according to the Internet–an extroverted writer....
Dec 2, 2014 | The Writing Life
There’s one writing myth I have to lay to rest, once and for all. I never thought I’d have to. Dean Wesley Smith covered this beautifully a long time ago, but every time I turn around, there it is again. If you create something quickly, it...
Nov 25, 2014 | The Writing Life
I got called an entrepreneur today. It startled me. The family with the most amazing pho restaurant in the world (Viva, for those interested) is an entrepreneur. My friend Andrea, who runs a kick-ass design firm with several employees, is an entrepreneur. My friend...
Nov 20, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
Balinese children at a friend’s English school. Another friend and I sponsored two children so they could attend as well. It’s easy to get swept away when you travel, especially when you travel to a country that is radically different from your own. If...
Nov 18, 2014 | The Writing Life
Becoming a fighter was one of the best things I ever did for my writing career. It gave me the thing one needs to survive any difficult industry. Armor. You see, I had some really hard days in fight camp. Lots of them. Humiliating days, painful days, days when I just...
Nov 13, 2014 | The Life Less Ordinary
Don’t hate me because I groped a panda.This could happen to YOU.I used to be extremely jealous of people who travelled.Travelling was something I longed to do, but it never seemed to happen.I did go to Africa once, but it was nine long years before I left the...
Nov 12, 2014 | The Writing Life
Chuck at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Photo credit: SiWC 2014 I see a lot of writers asking for help on social media. Buy my book! Follow me on Twitter! Like my Facebook page! Review my book! Did I mention I have a book coming out? Oh God,...
Nov 5, 2014 | The Writing Life
Am I a sucker? A glutton for punishment? Someone with too much time on their hands? Probably yes to all except the last one. But that’s not why I’m participating in National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNoWriMo (and which I personally call...
