Category Archives: Writing

Author Interview #1: Bridget Hoida And SO LA

Posted on June 18, 2012 by PB Rippey

Introducing Bridget Hoida, whose first novel, So LA, is due out in bookstores June 20th. I happen to personally know that Bridget is brilliant, but I can also tell you without a hint of bias that she writes about Los Angeles with … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2012, Bridget Hoida, California, fiction, fiction writing, Joan Didion, Los Angeles, Michael Ventura, Robert McKee, So LA, writing | 3 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Ray Edition)

Posted on June 10, 2012 by PB Rippey

If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, quotes on writing, Ray Bradbury, The Illustrated Man, The Veldt, writing | 5 Comments

Wrinkly Time, Melamine

Posted on June 8, 2012 by PB Rippey

I recently discovered that anything made of melamine, i.e., my preschooler’s plates and bowls, should not be tossed into the dishwasher. Ever. And if you make a knife cut in melamine? Chances are toxins will seep into your child’s food. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Children's Books, Fiction, Madonna, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, children's literature, fencing, fiction, fiction writing, life, London, Marcel Proust, melamine, Molly Ringwold, preschoolers, Swann's Way, yoga | 2 Comments

Short Story Writing Drama

Posted on May 30, 2012 by PB Rippey

Because I’ve been a Glimmer Train Finalist several times and, once, long ago, when GT published poetry, a Top 25 Finalist, and because, of course, GT is one of the best fiction journals in the country, I subscribe and receive … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Children's Books, Fiction, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, A Visit From The Goon Squad, Askew Poetry Journal, fiction, fiction writing, Glimmer Train, life, personal goals, writing | 2 Comments

Guest Blogging

Posted on May 29, 2012 by PB Rippey

Yesterday, which I thought was Sunday due to the 3 day weekend and synapses firing improperly or not at all after my husband and I watched a late-night Sunday (which I thought was Saturday) Mad Men marathon accompanied by intensely seasoned … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Writing, YA Novels | Tagged 2012, beach, children's literature, fiction writing, Santa Rosa Island, writing, YA Muses | Leave a comment

Quote For The Weekend (Super Late Richard Henry Dana, Jr. Edition)

Posted on May 28, 2012 by PB Rippey

“The Californians are an idle, thriftless people, and can make nothing for themselves. The country abounds in grapes, yet they buy, at a great price, bad wine made in Boston…” ―Richard Henry Dana, Jr. Well, Sir—we’ve come a long way. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, beach, Dana Point, fiction, ocean, preschoolers, quotes on writing, Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before The Mast | 1 Comment

Roar While You Can

Posted on May 21, 2012 by PB Rippey

I picked up the preschooler from his place of happy learning and song and drove him up the coast to a museum party celebrating a new installation of animatronic dinosaurs. My husband phoned as I stood in a vast, beamed hall … Continue reading →

Posted in Me and Us, Santa Barbara, Writing | Tagged 2012, aging, Animatronics, Dinosaurs, life, pizza, preschoolers, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, T-Rex, Target, Triceratops, writing | 2 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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