John Madden famously said, “If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.” What he didn’t mention is that once you step off the porch, you might have to fight to for your fair share of the yard. It’s not that the other dogs want you to stay...
People rarely feel a solitary emotion. Rather, we are a cacophony of feelings and thoughts all happening at the same time. Take, for example, a woman walking at night. Suddenly she hears footsteps drawing closer. Is she frightened? Sure. But what else does she feel?...
"Wordpress Blogging" by Negative Space/ CC0 1.0 The year isn't getting off to the best start here at Casa Wallace. I accidentally resent my clock when I setting my alarm last night. As a result, I got up at 5am, thinking it was an hour later. It wasn't until I'd made...
Let’s talk about luck. In 1988, a technical mishap caused Stevie Wonder to delay his performance at the Nelson Mandela Birthday Tribute at Wembley Stadium. (Mandela, then 70, was still in prison at the time. The concert was to honor his commitment to South African...
I’ve spent the last two weeks writing the opening pages of my WIP. After 5-6 versions, I think I’ve landed on one that will stick around until I get further into the story. Then, chances are, I’ll go back and revise it again. By the time I’m done, I will probably have...
Last year, my inspirational word was Everest. Earth’s highest mountain (above sea level) seemed an appropriate metaphor as I strove to conquer a new type of writing. Jumping from genre fiction to book club fiction certainly felt like a climb. What made Everest so...
