Author Archives: PB Rippey

About PB Rippey

Writer, mother, wife, 7th gen Californian, and keeper of the mini-zoo.

Pig Wings

Posted on May 14, 2012 by PB Rippey

This M’s Day I opened up the kind of box obviously designed for special gifts and found a glass pig. According to the teeny tiny piece of paper that comes with her, the pig’s name is Penelope. Nestled into satiny … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Pets, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged 2012, fiction writing, Mother's Day, pigs with wings, preschoolers, writer's angst, YA Muses | 4 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Wildlife Edition)

Posted on May 11, 2012 by PB Rippey

You may not believe in evolution, and that is all right. How we humans came to be the way we are is far less important than how we should act now to get out of the mess we have made … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, To Explain, Writer quotes, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, African animals, bellinis, evolution, fiction writing, Jane Goodall, Mother's Day, San Diego, wild animal park, writing | 4 Comments

The Oak Drug

Posted on May 7, 2012 by PB Rippey

Oak trees are my valium. Last Saturday I listened to friends chatting and a creek dance over boulders as I gazed up into a canopy of arms at all angles and a puzzle of jagged green leaves on blue sky and—zzzzzz. Whatever … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, ocean related, Writing | Tagged 2012, beach, Encino Oak, fiction writing, oak trees, ocean, pandas, Santa Barbara, Shiva, writer's angst, writing | 1 Comment

Trickle-Down Poem For May (Thank You, April)

Posted on May 1, 2012 by PB Rippey

Full Flower Moon May (mostly), the petticoat swirl of rising pink meadow, petite showers, buds. I say: rose, peony, phlox. And I say: petal- shorn, plucked, blown until only the head remains, one pale sticky oval crushed by u- niverse … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2012, Full moons, May, poetry, writer, writing | 4 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Feverish Edition)

Posted on April 29, 2012 by PB Rippey

There is one consolation in being sick; and that is the possibility that you may recover to a better state than you were ever in before. —Henry David Thoreau In the cocoon with a flashlight. Outside of it all, I hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotes, Writer quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged 2012, Health, Henry David Thoreau, Writer quotes, writer's angst | 3 Comments

Get Thee To Rivendale

Posted on April 27, 2012 by PB Rippey

Whenever I feel the slightest hint of a scratchy throat, whenever I’m knocking back the EmergenC or playing The Ladybug Game for the 5th time with a box of tissues in my lap, whenever I’m carrying on despite what I know … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, Writer's Angst, Writing, WTF | Tagged 2012, chaos, fiction writing, Frodo, Gollum, Ikea, LOTR, preschoolers, writer's angst, yoga | 2 Comments

Spring Spirit Conference, 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012 by PB Rippey

What a delightfully smooth, well-run, 1 day conference. As I drove away, the GPS taking me on a spooky off-the-freeway-then-back-on mini-adventure, as I sped past miles of crops (previously mist-blanketed, cooling off from a day of baking in 93 degrees), … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Steps In Promotion, Writer quotes, Writing Progress, Writing Tips, YA Novels | Tagged 2012, Lin Oliver, preschoolers, quotes on writing, Rocklin CA, SCBWI, Spring Spirit Conference, writing, YA Muses | 5 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Roadtrip Edition)

Posted on April 19, 2012 by PB Rippey

What is the feeling when you’re driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? -it’s the too huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Poetry, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged 2012, Jack Kerouac, On The Road, poetry, USC, writing | 3 Comments

Tulip Red Umbrella

Posted on April 17, 2012 by PB Rippey

In case you missed it, Carol Muske Dukes has an appreciation of Adrienne Rich right here, in the Sunday, 4/16/12 edition of the LA Times. There you will find reference to a tulip red umbrella and its owner. Speaking of Carol, … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, Adrienne Rich, Carol Muske Dukes, Kindle Fire, LA Times, Pink Tuxedos, poetry, preschoolers, Rita Dove, Rocklin, Spring Spirit 2012, YA Muses | Leave a comment

KNOCK IT OFF, CUCKOO

Posted on April 16, 2012 by PB Rippey

Please go to this wonderful post by Beth Hull and read—especially if you are a certain literary agent. Or any literary agent or critiquing-type who believes they are so busy and important it’s perfectly fine to be brusque and quippish instead of … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2012, children's literature, critiquing, cuckoo, fiction writing, Literary Agents, middle grade writing, yoga | 3 Comments

Quote For The Weekend

Posted on April 14, 2012 by PB Rippey

Once the realization is accepted that, even between the closest human beings, infinite distances continue to exist, a wonderful living side by side can grow up, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, fiction writing, life, preschoolers, quotes on writing, rain, Trader Joe's | 2 Comments

Not A Zombie

Posted on April 11, 2012 by PB Rippey

1. Recently I slouched on a bale of hay, waiting for my son to appear at the bottom of a tube slide attached to a combine machine turned playset. A boy of about 10 popped out of the slide first, … Continue reading →

Posted in dog, Fiction, Pets, Writer's Angst, Writing, WTF | Tagged 2012, chaos, Easter egg hunt, fiction writing, Jesus, Kindle Fire, ocean, personal goals, preschoolers, writer's angst, zombies | 4 Comments

Switched Hats

Posted on April 5, 2012 by PB Rippey

All week I’ve taken a break from my children’s novels in order to scour my grownup novel—a few chapters a night. I have revised as I’ve read (of course), refusing to backtrack until I make it to The End. Or—something mostly kind … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Children's Books, Fiction, ocean related, Poetry, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, beach, children's literature, fiction writing, ocean, personal goals, Plot and structure, poetry, preschoolers, writer's block | 3 Comments

3 Days Of Light

Posted on April 2, 2012 by PB Rippey

I’ve been visiting here since I was 4 years old and still this beach works magic on my psyche. At least, it feels like magic. I don’t wait to be struck by lightning and don’t need certain slants of light in … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, ocean related, Pets, Writer quotes, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, beach, Doris Lessing, fiction writing, ocean, Rachel Carson, Toni Morrison, writing | 4 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Rich Edition)

Posted on March 31, 2012 by PB Rippey

Sleeping, turning in turn like planets rotating in their midnight meadow: a touch is enough to let us know we’re not alone in the universe, even in sleep… —Adrienne Rich Diving Into The Wreck made such an impression on me … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Quotes, Writer quotes | Tagged 2012, Adrienne Rich, Diving Into The Wreck, poetry, writing | 2 Comments

Brief Blog Break

Posted on March 27, 2012 by PB Rippey

I am stamping the blog with a poem instead of PB’s impressions as I prepare to hoof it out of town. Hoping that this get-away reboots my brain and produces thousands of words as I work on a certain bit of sequel. T … Continue reading →

Posted in ocean related, Poetry, Santa Barbara, Writing | Tagged 2012, beach, fiction writing, poetry, preschoolers, Santa Barbara, writer's retreat | 1 Comment

Kindle Kinks

Posted on March 26, 2012 by PB Rippey

Kinks in my brain as I reach for pages to turn, repeatedly startled when THEY’RE JUST NOT THERE. The Content-O-Meter that obediently appears when I tap my finger on the screen does show me how far I’ve progressed in the book—but I … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction | Tagged 2012, Kindle Fire, Literature | 4 Comments

Quote For The—Blrrrrrrrrrrgh

Posted on March 24, 2012 by PB Rippey

This is what I remember about Friday: feeding the boy, hug-sandwich as we said bye-bye to his dad, finally getting the boy to preschool (I thought I was a slow eater!), speeding to Starbucks as forgot to buy coffee for … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, writing | 2 Comments

Book Bits (Courtesy of NPR)

Posted on March 19, 2012 by PB Rippey

You’ve probably already been here as I’m never the earliest anywhere except the zoo, museums, playgrounds and places in which excessive queuing is involved. But here is an excerpt anyway and you can listen to the whole interview with Jonah Lehrer … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, Writer quotes, Writing Tips | Tagged 2012, fiction writing, Fun In The Workplace, Jonah Lehrer, life, NPR, personal goals, Pixar, preschoolers, quotes on writing, Steve Jobs, writing | 6 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Rain Edition)

Posted on March 17, 2012 by PB Rippey

There’s always a period of curious fear between the first sweet-smelling breeze and the time when the rain comes cracking down. —Don DeLillo Yes. And a curious fear in the short time it takes to crack open the cover of … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, Me and Us, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, Don DeLillo, Falling Man, quotes on writing, rain, White Noise, writer, writing | 4 Comments

Middle Grade Tidbit

Posted on March 16, 2012 by PB Rippey

In case you’re missing it, agent Michael Bourret from Dystel & Goderich and editor Molly O’Neill are conversing via their blogs about middle grade novels–what they look for, what they like, what middle grade is or might be or possibly isn’t but … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing, Writing Tips | Tagged 2012, children's literature, Dystel & Goderich, fiction writing, Michael Bourret, middle grade writing, Molly O'Neill, writing | Leave a comment

Deadline Mayhem

Posted on March 13, 2012 by PB Rippey

With a house full of in-laws, 1 out-of-his-brain-with-excitement preschooler, visiting dogs, horrified puking and peeing everywhere cats, a small crew installing the new dishwasher and ceiling fans and outdoor sensor lighting, much celebrating involving caramel cakes, Seuss stuffs and misbehaving golfclubs, 1 courtesy-of-kind-in-laws date night … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Me and Us, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, domestics, grant deadlines, Kinko's, personal goals, preschoolers, writer's angst | 1 Comment

Quote For The Weekend (Yet Another Late Edition)

Posted on March 11, 2012 by PB Rippey

I am repeat quoting. Visiting the museum this weekend, I was once again struck by Marcel Proust’s words high on a wall overlooking the displays of dinosaur bones. I am constantly trying to quickly evolve new eyes as I revise my novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Quotes, Steps In Promotion, Writer quotes, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, dinosaur poop, fiction writing, James Cameron, Marcel Proust, Mariana Trench, ocean, preschoolers, quotes on writing, writing | 2 Comments

Blog Break: Yes, Kony 2012

Posted on March 7, 2012 by PB Rippey

Click here for the movie. Scroll 1/2 way down their page. Watch. If you haven’t seen the film yet, it’s 27 minutes short and after the first 5 minutes you don’t care how long it is. If, like me, you … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, dog, Fiction, Me and Us, Writer's Angst, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged 2012, cats, domestics, Invisible Children, Kony 2012, preschoolers, writer's angst, writing, Yaks | Leave a comment

What I Can Do To Promote World Peace

Posted on March 6, 2012 by PB Rippey

548a.m. Pretty dark through the curtains. No birdsong. The bed is mine, S walking the dog, the boy snoozing anywhere from the next 15 minutes to the next hour. Barely awake, I feel the effects from gazing at my work … Continue reading →

Posted in books, dog, Me and Us, Quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, cats, chaos, domestic bliss, Facebook, fiction writing, Mother Teresa, preschoolers, quotes on writing, Sandra Fluke | 1 Comment