Tag Archives: fiction writing

Spring Spirit 2012

Posted on January 11, 2012 by PB Rippey

Recently writer Beth Hull turned me on to the Spring Spirit conference, an annual SCBWI California North/Central event held in Rocklin, CA. This year, I’m excited to say I will be attending. The lineup is top notch, including the YA Muses … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Me and Us, middle grade, Writing, YA Novels | Tagged 2012, CA, children's literature, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, Rocklin, Spring Spirit 2012, writer's retreat, writing | 2 Comments

Time Spent

Posted on January 9, 2012 by PB Rippey

Roaming the house looking for my reading glasses when on top of head entire time: a good 15 minutes (additional minutes tacked on when distracted by each room’s white elephant: mound of clean yet hopelessly wrinkled laundry on guest room bed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Pets, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, Llamas, Starry, starry night, tapas, Van Gogh, writer's angst, writing | 4 Comments

Under The Never Sky

Posted on January 3, 2012 by PB Rippey

Finally, my Amazon pre-ordered copy of Veronica Rossi’s debut novel arrived. This afternoon I heard a thump on the front porch, opened the door and found the package (it was sealed at the time, of course). The UPS man placed … Continue reading →

Posted in books, YA Novels | Tagged 2012, fiction writing, Under The Never Sky, Veronica Rossi, YA Muses, YA Novels | 2 Comments

A Little Nap Reading

Posted on January 3, 2012 by PB Rippey

I’m terrible when it comes to reading (cue echoing god-voice): books on craft. I used to ride horses that shied when the wind picked up, theirs withers trembling, nostrils flaring noisily. Hold Donald Maass’ book up before me and I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, Steps In Promotion, Writer's Angst | Tagged 2012, Donald Maass, fiction writing, personal goals, writing | 2 Comments

When I Despair, I Remember

Posted on January 1, 2012 by PB Rippey

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s Top 10 Fundamentals For Changing The World Change Yourself You are in control Forgive and let go Without action you aren’t going anywhere Take care of this moment Everyone is human Persist See the good in people … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotes, Writer quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, fiction writing, Gandhi, history, humanity, love, personal goals, writing | 2 Comments

No Sickness (O My Stars)

Posted on December 26, 2011 by PB Rippey

I remember using the mini food processor chopper thing to within an inch of its life, opening cans of Christmas delicacies like organic kidney beans, tomato paste (yes, organic tomato paste—who knew) and what is Christmas without ye olde Christmas mandarin … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, dog, Faction, Pets, Poetry, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, cats, chaos, chili with chive-flecked dumpings, Christmas Spirit, dog, domestic bliss, fiction writing, martinis, pear cider, preschoolers, stomach flu | Leave a comment

Bit Of Info

Posted on December 20, 2011 by PB Rippey

From Writer’s Digest. Because I, anyway, always learn something (except how to make the perfect cup of coffee, I can never seem to learn that…): The 18 Most Popular Articles on Writing of 2011 We posted more than 1,300 articles … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing, Writing Tips | Tagged 2011, fiction writing, middle grade writing, Writer's Digest, writing, Writing Tips | 2 Comments

Supernova (Boom, Crash)

Posted on November 21, 2011 by PB Rippey

When I’m tired, it shows. I don’t have bags under my eyes resembling Hugh Hefner’s ball sack (thank you, Crazy Stupid Love for that line, crud from a movie so crazy sexist it was: Stupid), but I miss things, like windows … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Writer's Angst, WTF | Tagged 2011, Crazy Stupid Love, fiction writing, personal goals, supernova, writer's angst, writing | 1 Comment

Not Avoiding My Writing

Posted on October 7, 2011 by PB Rippey

See previous post. Now read this: THE PASSAGE OF AT LEAST 2 UNINTERRUPTED HOURS There is no blogging when working. There is no Hulu and bad actors living with dinosaurs. No Elephant Man. No social network. No Internet. They just. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, children's literature, colin firth, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, writer's angst, writing | Leave a comment

The Elusive Palomino

Posted on September 29, 2011 by PB Rippey

As I was writing/editing and avoiding my laptop’s Internet connection in my bed office yesterday (see canny Zadie Smith quote from previous post), utilizing the sweet patch of me-as-writer time following leg-destroying yoga and before I was to pick my son up … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, poetry reading, Quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, fiction writing, middle grade writing, Modern Family, palominos, personal goals, poetry, preschoolers, TV, writer's angst, writing, Zadie Smith | 3 Comments

Notes From The Armchair

Posted on September 26, 2011 by PB Rippey

And how is it going, PB, in your newly rediscovered armchair? Are you working under favorable conditions? Or does the scent of cat pee distract you, just as you’ve made yourself comfortable, laptop on lap, glass of wine on the bookshelf next … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, Me and Us, Pets, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, WTF | Tagged 2011, cats, creamsicles, domestic bliss, domestics, fiction writing, life, personal goals, writer's angst | 2 Comments

DUMMY

Posted on September 19, 2011 by PB Rippey

I have a new special writing/revising trick. Starting with the first three chapters of my novel, I copy and paste them into a brand new fresh document, print, then edit/revise/correct/read-aloud/enhance/make-marvelous, etc. I throw the hardcopy edits into the brand new … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, poetry reading, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, poetry, writer's angst, writing | 4 Comments

Armchair Magic (With Tall Reading Lamp)

Posted on September 14, 2011 by PB Rippey

Last night I accomplished so much in my new special writing place that all day I anticipated my return. Now that I’m here, typing eagerly, feet crossed and slightly off an ottoman, my spine cushioned far more comfortably than when I’m up against … Continue reading →

Posted in dog, Me and Us, middle grade, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, cats, dog, domestic bliss, fiction writing, Marcel Proust, middle grade writing, T-Rex, writing | 1 Comment

Quote For The Weekend (Late Edition Due To—Due To—Hm? Wot? Is Someone Speaking? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!)

Posted on September 10, 2011 by PB Rippey

I made up my mind at the beginning of my writing life not to write about my family and friends, since I want them to remain my family and friends. Others, it seems, have come to a similar conclusion. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2011, Carol Shields, fiction, fiction writing, The Stone Diaries, writer, writer's angst, writer's block, writing | Leave a comment

Llama Laugh

Posted on September 5, 2011 by PB Rippey

His laugh: Vaguely hyena, part labrador-loose-in-the-surf, not mocking, but the tiniest bit cryptic, comically so. He made me want to write. Since it was too wonderfully cold for sitting outside by the fountain and attention-sucking candlelight, for two nights we kept company, this llama and … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, ocean related, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, beach, fiction writing, John Singer Sargent, life, Llamas, ocean, personal goals, writer, writer's angst, writer's retreat, writing | 2 Comments

Quote For The Weekend

Posted on September 1, 2011 by PB Rippey

“Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on.” —John Steinbeck

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, Fiction, Santa Barbara, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged 2011, beach, fiction, fiction writing, John Steinbeck, life, ocean, personal goals, writer's angst, writer's block, writer's retreat, writing | Leave a comment

Book Rave

Posted on August 29, 2011 by PB Rippey

I’m only 1/3 of the way in, if that, and: I love it. I judged a book by its cover and my decision is utterly paying off. I’ve read W.G. Sebald. So instead of my brows flying up in consternation/skepticism upon … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2011, fiction, fiction writing, Ransom Riggs, teen drama, W.G. Sebald, weird books, writing | 1 Comment

Gypsy Sunset

Posted on August 22, 2011 by PB Rippey

Now that summer preschool camp has come to an end, life is extremely busy as I organize excursions that will benefit the small mind and help it to expand in positive, utterly enriching ways (I’m talking about the enrichment that … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, chaos, children's literature, domestics, fiction writing, life, personal goals, writer | Leave a comment

Quote For The Weekend: Lifted Edition

Posted on August 19, 2011 by PB Rippey

This quote, by Her Royal PD James, is lifted from writer Laurie Halse Anderson’s site where Laurie is, as always, writing inspiring-everythings, because she cares, then cares some more: “My most valuable trait is tenacity, but what got me where … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Fiction, Quotes, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged 2011, fiction, fiction writing, personal goals, writer, writer's angst, writing | Leave a comment

Reveries

Posted on August 9, 2011 by PB Rippey

I’ve been seeing so many people from my past lately—I mean the past past, hazy-rocketing back to elementary school and working up from there—and it’s affected my dreaming. I have hosted reunions in my dream homes, welcoming total strangers to parties … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, ocean related, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged 2011, children's literature, domestic bliss, domestics, fiction, fiction writing, life, personal goals, writer's block, writing | Leave a comment

Believe & Succeed

Posted on August 1, 2011 by PB Rippey

This month’s inspirational/motivational quote glaring at me on the calendar by my bed desk states the following (said in the throaty/heady voice Sir Ian McKellan uses when Gandalf): B E L I E V E & S U C C … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, fiction, fiction writing, hobbits, movies, personal goals, quotes, writing | Leave a comment

Avoidance: 10:30a.m.

Posted on July 27, 2011 by PB Rippey

Terrified to read my latest revisions, terrified to admit terror to self-terrorized Self, I have: Vacuumed, cleaned the parakeet’s cage, vacuumed, watered outside, worked out (oh the lengths my terror shoves me), and almost resorted to brushing the dog. Made … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, dog, middle grade, Parakeet, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged 2011, cats, children's literature, dog, domestics, fiction writing, labrador, personal goals, writer, writer's block, writing | Leave a comment

See World

Posted on July 18, 2011 by PB Rippey

Soon, this extremely amateur marine scientist, dolphin lover, anti-orcas-in-big-pools-putting-on-shows type, One Who Is Against Ray Petting Whether 2 Fingers Are Used Instead Of Your Whole Hand Or Not As You’re Still Diminishing The Ray’s Mucus Layer And Once That Happens They Get … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, fish, Me and Us, ocean related, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged 2011, beach, children's literature, fiction writing, life, ocean, personal goals, writer, writer's angst, writing | Leave a comment

Watermelon People, For Instance

Posted on July 15, 2011 by PB Rippey

My head and my brain are still at the writing retreat, clicking away, processing vitals, etc. I hope they are enjoying themselves. I returned home with my son to a house packed with visitors both human and canine, dinner for 8 … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, books, Faction, Fiction, middle grade, ocean related, Santa Barbara, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, beach, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, life, middle grade writing, ocean, writer, writer's angst, writer's retreat, writing | Leave a comment

The Baby Blessing (With Writers)

Posted on July 11, 2011 by PB Rippey

So the baby blessing took place in my mother’s faintly overgrown backyard, guests’ heads thunked by falling trumpet vine blossoms (they are as large and as heavy as some sandwiches), the mingling of shadows and vines and succulents forcing the … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, ocean related, Santa Barbara, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2011, buddhist monks, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, life, middle grade writing, mystery writer, ocean, personal goals, screenwriting, toddlers, writing, Zen | 1 Comment