On Quilts and Writing

Had this conversation recently. Sound familiar?

I’ve been spending a lot of time world-building, outlining, and developing characters for my next novel. It’s easy to get lost in this process, playing with ideas and detailing minutia. But at some point, you have to put the proverbial pen to paper and actually begin crafting. I’ve already written several novels, but it’s still…

I’ve been doing some final edits on my latest WIP. There was one passage that didn’t feel exactly right, so I started trying different combinations to improve it. After spending a couple of hours, I got it to where I was satisfied, only to realize it was pretty much the same as the original. Anybody…

I finished the first draft of my latest novel this week. While I was tempted to call it a piece of crap, I decided doing so wouldn’t be fair. Instead, I realized it just looks odd because it’s not finished. Kind of like the framing of a house. It doesn’t keep the rain out, and…

Some days you sit down to write, and the words just flow. But other days, it’s a struggle of epic proportions. My brain is lost in swirling mists, and my muse has abandoned me. Then that devil procrastination whispers in my ear, and I am sorely tempted to leave my post. But I fight on,…

I just finished the first draft of my current work in progress. As is typical for me, I like to become more familiar with the less filled-out characters before heading into the second draft. I usually do a sort of interview with them, where they tell me a little about themselves and fill in some…