Category Archives: Writing

INSERT HO-HO-HO HERE

Posted on December 14, 2023 by PB Rippey

Yours in staying active this holiday season, PB

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Holiday Pteranodon

Posted on December 12, 2023 by PB Rippey

Welcome to December! aka Revisionmas! Which has everything to do with this photo. Yours in Christmas decorations up since Thanksgiving Day, a return to writing at night in addition to weekday dawns, and yours in the art and agony and … Continue reading →

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So: November

Posted on November 6, 2023 by PB Rippey

Daylight Savings Time; my dad would have been 83 today; it’s 87F in my neck of the woods until maybe midweek; we are prepping for our son’s 16th birthday party–I have purchased glow-in-the-dark beachballs that can have the s*** pounded … Continue reading →

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A Tardy Boo

Posted on November 3, 2023 by PB Rippey

Am late to every party. Sad, that. Happy last Halloween! Yours in using an awl to punch holes in your jack-o-lantern for a different effect, PB

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Just Call Me: Revision

Posted on October 18, 2023 by PB Rippey

I’ve got a pretty good rhythm going revising: 2 kidlit/eco-fiction novels and 2 women’s fiction novels. I am a morning person now–not sure I’m TRULY a 5:30a.m. morning person? But that alarm seems to work if I want to feel … Continue reading →

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Hi, It’s Me, It’s I’m-Revising-It Me

Posted on September 28, 2023 by PB Rippey

Right now? I could be a NYTimes Connections puzzle, complete with the requisite 4 answers: Through-line. Grammar. Deep Breaths. In N Out French Fries. Hint: What PB Rippey does after Momming around town and pacifying the mini-zoo. Theme: Revision. Answers: … Continue reading →

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Deadlines (Self-Imposed) Edition

Posted on September 18, 2023 by PB Rippey

In addition to first and foremost helping my teen weather the whatever-thing going after his stomach for the last 3 weeks, meeting kidlit contest deadlines and women’s fiction contest deadlines and revising my current kidlit stable of novels and my … Continue reading →

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MONSTER PLACES 4TH

Posted on August 2, 2023 by PB Rippey

I went from stepping away (previous post) to receiving 4th place in this year’s SCBWI Sue Alexander Grant competition for my MG novel THE MONSTER AT ELIZABETH LAKE. I am beyond thrilled. Nothing like good news to keep my butt … Continue reading →

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On Stepping Away

Posted on July 19, 2023 by PB Rippey

You know how so many books on creativity, or self-help books by therapists, psychologists, or self-help websites and apps advise stepping away from your work and going on an artist-date with your creative-self in order to receive fresh ideas, answers … Continue reading →

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July 4th ’23

Posted on July 4, 2023 by PB Rippey

Recently we drove from Valencia (mountains) to Ventura (ocean!!!) on the 126 Hwy, which took us through good old Fillmore (fields, strip malls/classic train depot…). My husband and I were stunned by the number of popup fireworks booths Fillmore displayed … Continue reading →

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May, June Swoon, Hi July

Posted on June 29, 2023 by PB Rippey

As June comes to a close, my son paused by my computer, touched my shoulder, whispered with dread: Mom–what’s the date today? I told him: Dude, it’s only barely almost July. He was clearly relieved the summer was still before … Continue reading →

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Summertime &

Posted on June 9, 2023 by PB Rippey

School’s out for summer & we’re living on a timetable, this helmet-of-grey-clouds-June crammed with little trips here/there + revising revising revising my work + swimming laps 4-7 days/week+ reading Demon Copperhead. I’LL TAKE IT! Yours in keep-on-writing-in-summertime, PB

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Monsters

Posted on May 4, 2023 by PB Rippey

Not a monster, but a Pteranodon (framed photo), and has everything to do with the novel I’m currently revising, which has everything to do with monsters–human, animal, extinct, imagined and otherwise. As I may have mentioned. Yours in continuous revision, … Continue reading →

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Revision

Posted on May 1, 2023 by PB Rippey

Dropping this pic here as I revise my current novels as at this moment, this picture describes my writing life. Layered, themed, complicated/not complicated, weirdly satisfying, a constant work-in-progress. Revision is hard, right? But also gratifying. Long live the Mojave/Mitchell … Continue reading →

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SCBWI/LA TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS

Posted on April 29, 2023 by PB Rippey

The SCBWI-LA booth was busy on Sunday 4/23! Wonderful for the authors signing books. So many parents and kids visited our booth, it couldn’t have just been the bubble machine attracting everyone–I mean, even meandering teens lingered. Zeena M. Pliska, … Continue reading →

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Festival Weekend 2023

Posted on April 17, 2023 by PB Rippey

I’m going. Are you? Sunday I’m helping out at the SCBWI booth. Both days have a great lineup of kidlit authors signing books. Poetry tent will be quietly rockin’. Lots to explore, as usual. See you there!

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April: Poetry Month

Posted on April 14, 2023 by PB Rippey

Repair—Dorianne Laux After you fix the broken picture framewith wood staples and wire, take the glassrectangle to the kitchen and turn on the tap,hold it beneath and watch the water slide downthrough the dust.  Balance that expanseon the divider between … Continue reading →

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Spring Break: High Desert (Mojave Edition)

Posted on April 11, 2023 by PB Rippey

Last year I thought we’d spend this year’s spring break in Costa Rica, but Rte 66 and the Mojave National Preserve were shall we say more 2023 practical: I hate you Covid. Mitchell Caverns. Calico Ghost Town. The Jenny Rose … Continue reading →

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Except He Doesn’t Proofread My Blog Posts

Posted on March 13, 2023 by PB Rippey

Now that the Feb (me) and March (spouse) event-packed birthdays are over, it’s back to work. I purposefully let my MG synopsis and first 10 pages of the manuscript marinate while I ate cake and socialized with my people. Grateful … Continue reading →

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Fielding Distractions

Posted on February 28, 2023 by PB Rippey

SoCal rainstorms, SNOW!!!, and my (feels-like-95th) birthday have distracted me from completing important tasks since Valentine’s Day (also a distraction), such as wiping puppy noseprints from windows, or filling in gopher holes. However, I’m not distracted from my creativity–writing, submitting, … Continue reading →

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Time to Read

Posted on February 14, 2023 by PB Rippey

Valentine’s Day present from husband and the teen. Perfect! Wish I could start reading now. Yours in hearts and candy (whether chocolate or books), PB

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Absolutely the Place

Posted on February 9, 2023 by PB Rippey

Took me a while to finish this novel, but not because it’s not riveting. I was savoring each chapter. Maggie O’Farrell’s ability to introduce multiple characters on a page and pull out their souls for the reader to examine? A … Continue reading →

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Cormorants

Posted on February 3, 2023 by PB Rippey

Loglines/writing break, waiting for the refrigerator repair person to arrive between now and 4 hours from now, recovering from the debilitating cold the teen had last week, took the puppy on a brief walk to the pond, where we quietly … Continue reading →

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Hearts on the Horizon

Posted on January 26, 2023 by PB Rippey

Hurtling towards February, my birthday month, I’m still writing every day thanks to Nephele Tempest’s December Writing Challenge AND I almost have my synopsis ready (though–are synopses ever really ready?) for my women’s fiction novel AND the synopses for my … Continue reading →

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December Writing Challenge Results

Posted on January 16, 2023 by PB Rippey

December ’22 was a zephyr on steroids, for me. For you, too? And yet–Christmas Day passed in slow motion: walks, long phonecalls with out of town family, cooking-while-socializing (sans panic), everyone snoozing by 10pm (except for the gaming teenager). So–Nephele … Continue reading →

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