Writer / author / memoir teacher

Publish Before I Perish

I’ve been working on my novel for several years now; I have lost count of how many years exactly. At workshops given by experienced novelists, I always learn something that will make my story better. I love the process of adding subtext, developing characters, and using place mini-crises to move the plot forward. But some … Read more

My Weekend as a Travel Guide

This past weekend, I got to open a window and peek into other people’s lives. For the memoir workshop I taught at the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, attendees submitted pieces a few weeks in advance for critique. And as always, the stories were heartfelt, moving and inspiring. A little black girl and her family traveled through … Read more

Characters

The novel is slowly taking shape, mainly because I am writing it. Who knew? LOLThese things don’t happen by themselves. A friend asked me if my characters are taking over and telling me what they want to do next. I wish they would! My characters are just standing around, doing laundry and shopping…