Tag Archives: cats

More on loglines

Instead of grousing about writing loglines, I’m sharing my go-to list when composing them. My husband, the scriptwriter, calls this list a formula. Although the following doesn’t make my grousing cease, it does temper it and, truthfully, makes approaching writing … Continue reading

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JANUARY 1, 2023

HAPPY WRITING NEW YEAR! PB

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The Flexible Writing Schedule

I love when authors I admire share writing schedules/non-schedules. Most seem to have a set routine–which I marvel at as I tend to ricochet around the hours–or the hours ricochet around me when I’m at my computer. I’m most focused … Continue reading

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SCBWI Big Five-OH! Summer Conference

I’ve “been here” since Thursday morning. Et tu? A main event for me yesterday was class with one of my revered middle grade authors, Gary D. Schmidt, reminding/pointing out to writers the perhaps subtle, yet concrete importance of your novel’s … Continue reading

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This Is Covid

Yes, but I’m the one who wears a mask to walk the dogs, herding them across the street to avoid oncoming pedestrians (who are never masked); the one who won’t powerwalk with mom friends (who are never masked); who will … Continue reading

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2021 Int’l Women’s Day

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Christmas Countdown (w/Cats)

1 day to Christmas! All is calm and super bright. The kits watch for birds and sunning lizards. 80+ degrees the other day, extra dry as we experience our Christmas La Nina. Wishing for rain this winter–we could use it! … Continue reading

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Christmas Countdown (w/Cats)

Two! Christmas miracles are real (see previous post)!Celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary today by ordering take-out dinner from locally owned Wolf Creek.Don’t forget to look at Jupiter & Saturn!Joyeux Noel!

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School Days 2020

Bring your pet to school day for my son’s English class. It is this mother’s opinion that my tween’s middle school is rockin’ this distance learning business. #englishteachersrule  

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100% True Horror (Bad Dolls Edition)

Last night it was my turn to choose a movie. As my husband practiced the guitar (his Covid-19 learn-something-new goal) on our front porch, delighting dog-walking neighbors, the last of the day’s sun blessing his face, I spent 45 minutes … Continue reading

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Learning in the Time of Covid

Like you, I knew on Friday March whatever it was that on the following Monday schools would close. Closure wasn’t formally announced yet, but schools had already shut down in other states and I could tell our district was eager … Continue reading

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Birthday Alarms

I was wide awake before Monday’s morning alarm chimed, plotting what errands I would accomplish, in what order– when my brain was hit with edits to my novel-in-progress. I threw back the covers and staggered for the dining room table, … Continue reading

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Hunting

230am, the dog’s nose a wet Q-tip on my ear, his drunk-carny’s breath. I rise, stumble to the patio door, let him out. Waiting, I realize my right foot is wet. I panic:  blood? Cat vomit. I stumble to the … Continue reading

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REVISION

I finished my novel. All the writing, beach walks, and kitten-breaks seem to have paid off. I’m finished. Let the revising begin. Actually I’ve been revising all along. I adopted a habit of backing up a few chapters, reading/revising them … Continue reading

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Home

Usually I’m the one taking our kid on a road trip and usually during the summer, but this week my husband took our kid on a road trip for 2 days to visit family up north and I was suddenly: … Continue reading

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Fire Update

It’s always an emotional rush to post great news: All evacuations have been lifted in the Santa Barbara fire zones (see previous post pbwrites). Best news, best news. In my little bit of the valley it’s blowing like heck again. … Continue reading

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Third Eye (April Edition w/Cat)

Woke up at 430am, pressed on with the last 40 pages of revision, my 3rd eye drowsy, but game. Now that I’m wide awake, overly caffeinated and the little boy is at school and the husband is off to heroic … Continue reading

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Coffee Kick & Go (Tremble Edition)

It may be poetry month in the USA, but here at PB Writes the author was up late revising her MG novel, prepping it for the agent requesting a read. This sweet, cool and sunny spring morning–after creating pancakes-secreted-with-carrot-puree for the boy, feeding … Continue reading

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April Is Poetry Month (As If You Didn’t Know)

  At the recent SCBWI Writers & Illustrators Day (see my SCBWI piece),  editor Pam Gruber had her workshop attendees write down a bit of world building. In honor of all those writing a poem a day this month (I am … Continue reading

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Mornings Become Them (Birds Edition)

615am–I get out of bed to let the dog outside and get back in bed forgetting to let the dog back in and he barks and I shoot out of bed not wanting the dog to wake the first grader … Continue reading

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Spring Break Snoozing (Wide Awake Edition)

During this luscious week of no school for the Kindergartner, we snooze well. Except when we are awakened from chasm-sleep somewhere between 2a.m. and maybe 4:30a.m.—after the bars have closed, but before the rooster across the alley busts its lungs—after we’ve … Continue reading

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Double Rainbow (Rainy Day Edition)

Not long ago a man left a nasty little comment in my comments section calling my blog piece sophomoric and trite and something else I can’t remember and why this person was so unevolved as to blog-roam and drop his … Continue reading

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The Truth Is…(Maintenance Edition)

The truth is, I’m way too busy to blog—sprawling on the couch eating bonbons takes up a lot of time. And let me make this extremely clear: NOT milk chocolate bonbons with cherries tucked inside them. If I was even … Continue reading

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Quote For The Weekend (RIP Edition)

I have learned that particularly clever ideas do not always stand up under close scrutiny. Elizabeth Peters, The Hippopotamus Pool Ah, but the above author’s ideas stood up and have never stood down. Armed in 2 pen names (Elizabeth Peters being my personal … Continue reading

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Mini-Break 4: Summer Flu (Mr. Darcy Would Not Approve)

I see from Facebook that those of us women afflicted turned to the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. No coincidence. Those empire-waist dresses (so cheerful) and perpetually bouncing ringlets, lush countryside and obvious magnetism help … Continue reading

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