Tag Archives: fiction

Conference Wrap-Up

Posted on February 15, 2024 by PB Rippey

My only criticism of this conference: No critique groups should have been held in the lobby/lounge area of the hotel. The noise level there was distressing. Critique groups held in faculty suites should have been the norm (deeper critique shared … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged #amwriting, 2024, Big Sur Children's Writing Workshops Monterey, children's literature, Critique, editing, feedback, fiction, fiction writing, Harry Potter, middle grade writing, personal goals, writer, writing, Writing Tips | Leave a comment

Conference Time

Posted on February 10, 2024 by PB Rippey

2nd day, Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshops held not in Big Sur (Hwy 1 such a mess this time of year) but in Monterey, 4.5 hrs from home. I came to Monterey the day before the conference started and with … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged #amwriting, 2024, art, books, children's literature, fiction, kidlit, Literature, middle grade writing, Monterey CA, personal goals, poetry, writer, writing | 1 Comment

Cannery Row & Pacific Grove

Posted on February 9, 2024 by PB Rippey

Pre-kidlit conference exploration of Cannery Row and dinner in Pacific Grove. Visiting Pacific Marine Laboratories never gets old as I can never not seem to romanticize Ed Ricketts. Never actually explored neighboring P. Grove before–its views are, to plop a … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged #amwriting, 2024, Big Sur Children's Writing Workshops Monterey, Cannery Row, Ed Ricketts, fiction, fiction writing, kidlit, middle grade writing, Monterey CA, poetry, Steinbeck, writer, writing | Leave a comment

Happy New Year

Posted on January 2, 2024 by PB Rippey

Seen on my first powerwalk of 2024. The only bird that can fly backwards. Did you know they also catch insects with their whip-tongues? Yours in birds as symbols of hope in 2024 (except when crows bully hawks–also seen on … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2024, bird wars, children's literature, crows, fiction, fiction writing, Happy New Year 2024, hawks, hummingbirds, life, middle grade writing, personal goals, poetry, powerwalks | 1 Comment

NYE 2024

Posted on December 31, 2023 by PB Rippey

Survived Trader Joe’s this morning (oh–you too?). Watched closely by the cats, occasionally removing them from boxes, we de-Christmased the house. “WHAT ALREADY???” my friend texted. But we’ve had Christmas since 11/23, when we decorated our faux tree. As much … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, cats, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, life, middle grade writing, NYE 2023, personal goals, poetry, writer, writing | Leave a comment

Posted on December 28, 2023 by PB Rippey

Happy Everything Nice as we rocket towards 2024! Yours in beloveds, PB

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, cats, children's literature, domestic life, fiction, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, poetry, writer, writing | Leave a comment

Noel

Posted on December 17, 2023 by PB Rippey

When I close my laptop and the house isn’t stirring, not even a cat (or a teen), tiredx10 from walking the crazy girl earlier in the day, bleary-eyed from revising topics I must believe in because I keep on writing … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, children's literature, Christms 2023, fiction, fiction writing, middle grade writing, Noel, personal goals, poetry, writing | 1 Comment

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

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, Halloween 2023, middle grade writing, poetry, writer, writing | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Writing | Tagged #amwriting, 2023, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, Grand Canyon, middle grade writing, personal goals, poetry, Travel 2023, Vacation 2023, writer | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, April Poetry Month, Dorianne Laux, fiction, fiction writer, National Poetry month 2023, poetry, Spring 2023 | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, fiction, good books, great literature, Hamnet, Maggie O'Farrell, The Marriage Portrait, women authors | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, faction, fiction, fiction writing, Literature, Women novelists, writer | Leave a comment

More on loglines

Posted on January 10, 2023 by PB Rippey

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 →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, cats, creating a logline, fiction, fiction writer, loglines, peanut butter cup ice cream, writer, writing formulas, writing goals | Leave a comment

Night Writing Paradise

Posted on January 3, 2023 by PB Rippey

If I was to write solely by night, every night I would want to do it here: Which is also here: Here: And especially here: Sadly, this installation is temporary. I did let them know I’d be happy to take … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2023, Christmas 2022, Descanso Gardens, Enchanted Lights 2022, fiction, fiction writing, kidlit, La Canada Flintridge, Middle Grade Fiction, New Year's 2023, Pasadena, personal goals, poetry, writer, writing | Leave a comment

The Flexible Writing Schedule

Posted on December 29, 2022 by PB Rippey

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 →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2022, cats, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, how to write, kidlit, Literature, Los Angeles, middle grade writing, minivan moms, Pets, Puppies, teens, when to write, writing habits, writing kidlit, writing schedules | 2 Comments

Solstice Check-in

Posted on December 21, 2022 by PB Rippey

December 21st and I’ve written or revised novels every day this month except for 1, when I was in the throes of that chest cold going around. Still feeling the chest cold. Writing anyway, keeping to agent Nephele Tempest’s December … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2022, Christmas 2022, Christmas Miracles, fiction, fiction writing, Hamnet, kidlit, Lets' Write challenge, Los Angeles, Maggie O'Farrell, middle grade writing, Nephele Tempest, Puppies, Winter solstice 2022, writer | 2 Comments

Summer Goals (Part 2)

Posted on August 3, 2022 by PB Rippey

I’ve enjoyed summer despite living in fire country, which means our vital documents are packed in travel boxes until maybe November, pet carriers lined up in the garage, everything ready to be loaded, if necessary. My summer-normal. Yours, too? I … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2022, Cambria, children's literature, Elephant seals, fiction, fiction writing, first drafts, Hearst Castle, Highway One, life, middle grade writing, personal goals, San Simeon, writer, writing, Writing life | 1 Comment

Post Birthday Questionnaire

Posted on February 26, 2022 by PB Rippey

How old are you? Not old enough.What do you want? Greater physical/emotional strength. To write more than I am writing. To see more wild sea otters.What have you given your teenager that is worthwhile, or impressionable? Apologies when I’m wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2022, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, hope, life, middle grade writing, Morro Bay, nature, personal goals, Pets, poetry, sea otters | 1 Comment

June Reading List

Posted on July 1, 2021 by PB Rippey

Revisiting favorite way-to-tell-a-story inspirations. Encouraged that my Novelist-Dames (like my Joni Mitchell and Ani DiFranco Songstress-Dames) stand the test of my personal decades. IMO, the tell vs. show offered by these novelists (contrary to contemporary insistence on show vs. tell) … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged ani difranco, Dido Twite, Elizabeth Peters novels, fiction, fiction writing, Joan Aiken, Joni Mitchell, Mary Stewart novels, middle grade writing, Peabody and Emerson | Leave a comment

Learning In The Time Of Covid (Coursera Wesleyan U edition)

Posted on September 24, 2020 by PB Rippey

My book-recs arrive from: author-friends; writers I heart on social media; my 3 sisters/avid-readers; always Claire’s recs on WORD BY WORD. Thank you, Claire. You suggest so many writing worlds that shouldn’t, ever, be missed. In this basically word-of-mouth vein, … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2020, Amity Gaige, Book recs, Coursera, DH Lawrence, fiction, Literature, Odour Of Chrysanthemums, Sea Wife, Wesleyan U, Word By Word book reviews, writing fiction | 1 Comment

Did I Or Didn’t I

Posted on April 23, 2020 by PB Rippey

UPDATE: Coupled with new findings this week in Santa Clara County, where the medical examiner confirmed that California had the earliest deaths from COVID-19 — on Feb. 6 and Feb. 17 — the new information suggests a national epidemic was … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Writing | Tagged #quarantinelife, 2020, books, Bosch, covid19, fiction, heatwave, Pandemic, Quarantine, writer's block | Leave a comment

Never Forget (Fav Coffee Mug Edition)

Posted on April 9, 2020 by PB Rippey

Yours in coping, PB

Posted in Writing | Tagged #stayhome, #staysafe, 2020, books, coffee, coping, covid19, faction, fiction, Inspiration, life, Self-quarantine, survival, writing | Leave a comment

Birthday Alarms

Posted on February 25, 2019 by PB Rippey

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 →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2019, 4, Action dolls, birthdays, cats, Dogs, domestics, faction, fiction, kids, novel writing, RGB, writing fiction | 3 Comments

Hunting

Posted on October 29, 2018 by PB Rippey

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 →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2018, bad guys, books, cats, chocolate chip pancakes, coffee, Dogs, domestics, faction, Family, fiction, insomnia, Inspiration, life, Literature, Mary Louise Parker, poetry, Tarantino, Tom Selleck, writing, WTF | Leave a comment

REVISION

Posted on July 28, 2018 by PB Rippey

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 →

Posted in Children's Books, Writing | Tagged 2018, books, cats, children's literature, fiction, Inspiration, life, Literature, middle grade writing, revision, Thanks, unicorns, universe, Wow, writing | 3 Comments