I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
Captain’s Log, Stardate 10.28.2006 Hey guys, sorry this is late. Blogger was wigging out when I tried to post this earlier. Another card I made. I’m rather proud of this one. Don’t you hate it when . . . you schedule Billpay payment to your insurance company premium through your online banking like a good girl and it says the payment went through, but then it shows the money was never taken out of your checking account and you get a statement from the insurance company that you never paid your premium? I’m so peeved. I filed an inquiry with my bank’s Billpay. I haven’t been charged late fees yet, luckily. TMI: Bible in 90 Days: Day 5. Reading about how Joseph interpreted the pharaoh’s cup-bearer's dream and then how the dude went back to work and forgot about Joseph for two whole years made me think about the writer’s life. Often I would get some good news or a lucky break—an editor would show interest and request the full manuscript, or I’d win or final in a contest. It would gi...