“Why did you kill me off in that story?” Some years ago my younger daughter confronted me with this question after she had read a story I had recently completed. The story is about two sisters. I have two daughters. My older daughter insists that she is the narrator in that story. “It’s not about…

Writing a book seems almost effortless compared to promoting it. I don’t think I ever suffered from writer’s envy before I had a book published. I’m pretty sure I have it now. Not chronically or acutely. Just now and then. Don’t get me wrong. I’m extremely grateful for the support I’ve received from friends, family,…

Like most parents, I wanted to nurture my children’s creativity. At the very least, I aimed not to blunt it. Blunting it was a very real possibility during their fractious, rebellious years (which lasted from about age two to twenty) when I just wanted to command them to stay within the lines. Both of my…

I’m pretty sure only ten people knew who I was in high school. When I wasn’t invisible, I was pathetically visible—shy and socially inept, with an exceedingly poor aesthetic when it came to reconciling the fashions of the day—mini-skirts, hot pants, platform shoes—with my scrawny limbs. I clung to my textbooks like a life raft…

On the day of your own party, can you really be coherent and composed, attentive to guests and mindful of the manners you surely possess but which seem to have taken an unexpected leave of absence? The answer for me is a resounding no. I was overwhelmed by the show of support for Wendy Call…

June 21 is the date of the summer solstice, the day with the longest period of daylight and officially the first day of summer. All due to the tilt of the earth’s axis. It’s the time of the year when the naked bicyclists pedal through Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, the sweat of their buttocks slowly erasing…

Most writers have day jobs. Many teach, some wait tables, some build things. I have none of those skills. I work in the public sector. That’s not meant as a corollary. It just means that in the same way that I stumbled upon writing as an avocation, I stumbled upon Project/Program Manager as my occupation.…

If there’s an icky part about getting a book published it’s asking people for blurbs. Not just any people, but writers of note, because as a website called Selling Books puts it, “for an unknown author, such endorsements are essential for compelling readers to take a chance on someone they’ve never read before.” Asking for…