Tag Archives: fiction writing

O Revision!

Posted on September 9, 2021 by PB Rippey

Ever since the SCBWI Big Five-Oh summer conference, I have been the Madwoman of Revision. Lots of adhering to red ink exclamation points. Filtering critique. On not just my manuscripts, but synopses, loglines…You, too? Whenever I’m convinced my writing is … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2021, children's literature, fiction writing, Middle Grade Fiction, personal goals, poetry, revision, SCBWI, SCBWI Big Five Oh, writer | Leave a comment

Member: Mini-Get-Away Club

Posted on July 17, 2021 by PB Rippey

How odd to be out in the world. We aren’t venturing drastically far, but enough for a first substantial get-away since—-at least 3 years. The teen has been across the GG bridge, but he was just a boy then, shorter … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2021, Academy of Sciences SF, Alcatraz Island, children's literature, fiction writing, Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco, middle grade writing, San Francisco, travel2021 | Leave a 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

SCBWI Summer Conference

Posted on May 24, 2021 by PB Rippey

My Covid-Recovery-Brain has suggested that my leaning back against bed-pillows and Zoom-ing into conference keynotes and panels and workshops might be especially beneficial for igniting synapses previously Covid-numbed. Especially since Gary D. Schmidt is participating this year. July 29 – … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged #childrensliterature, #kidlit, 2021, fiction writing, I miss Kauai, kidlit, SCBWI Big Five Oh, SCBWI Summer Conference 2021, writing | Leave a comment

Euphoria

Posted on April 21, 2021 by PB Rippey

Reading Lily King’s EUPHORIA and watching Ken Burn’s ‘Hemingway’ feels like my brain has been emptied into the large silver strainer I use for washing strawberries, jiggling organic matter beneath faucet spray, jiggling, jiggling some more. For me, the theme … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2021, Dogs, Euphoria, fiction writing, Hemingway, Ken Burns, Lily King, Pandemic, PBS, Pets, writing | Leave a comment

21 Days Later

Posted on April 15, 2021 by PB Rippey

I notice myself doing little things I haven’t in 3 weeks. Moving my hips to my Echo Show playlist, “PB’s Groove”, as I transfer dishes from the dishwasher to their homes. Throwing cat toys for the 3 beasts, up and … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged #covid19recovery, 2021, children's literature, covid infection, covid19, Euphoria, fiction writing, Healing, Lily King, slow cooker salmon | Leave a comment

SCBWI Events

Posted on March 15, 2021 by PB Rippey

A bright light in #stayhomestaysafe is being made aware (thanks to my SCBWI regional newsletter) of SCBWI regional events around the USA. Here are a couple I’m registered for: Austin, TX Webinar: To Plot or Not? , Tuesday 3/16 with … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2021, fiction writing, Jennifer Swanson, kidlit, middle grade writing, Newbery Awards, non-fiction writing, SCBWI, SCBWI-Los Angeles, Solve It!, STEMTeamBooks, The Night Diaries, Veera Hiranandani, writing | Leave a comment

SCBWI Winter Conference

Posted on February 21, 2021 by PB Rippey

I’m “here”! Full day today. Especially looking forward to the agent panel. Also have made new Twitter friends. Will be phenomenal to attend in real life one day. Yours in info dumps,PB

Posted in Writing | Tagged #fictionwriting, #kidlit, #NY21SCBWI, #SCBWI, 2021, Childrens Literature, fiction writing, writing | Leave a comment

Revising Is Writing

Posted on February 10, 2021 by PB Rippey

That’s it. That’s the post. Revising. Is. Writing. Also: When I remember that revising IS writing? It’s like I’ve downed a small shot glass of caffeine. Or at least an Americano. Pen, fingers liven up. In conclusion: Here is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2021, Black cats, fiction writing, stay healthy, stay safe, stay strong 2021, wear a mask, writers block, writing, writing fiction, writing woes | Leave a comment

Happy Inauguration Day

Posted on January 20, 2021 by PB Rippey

The future is bright! Finally. Also: #catsforbidenharris

Posted in Writing | Tagged #catsforbidenharris, #stayhome, #staysafe, #wearamask, 2021, Biden Harris, books, Breathe, COVID-19, fiction writing, hope | Leave a comment

Writing & Covid

Posted on December 7, 2020 by PB Rippey

Pulling a Trumbo.

Posted in Writing | Tagged #bathtime, #savethewhales, #stayhome, #staysafe, 2020, COVID-19, creativity, fiction writing, Pandemic 2020, Trumbo, WTF | Leave a comment

Note-to-Self (Pandemic Edition)

Posted on December 1, 2020 by PB Rippey

Posted in Writing | Tagged #stayhome, #staysafe, #wearadamnmask, #writing, 2020, faction writing, fiction writing, memoir writing, middle grade writing, novels, writing in the time of covid | Leave a comment

TG Countdown

Posted on November 25, 2020 by PB Rippey

Posted in Writing | Tagged #stayhome, #staysafe, #wearamask, 2020, Black cats, Christmas @Thanksgiving, Covid Thanksgiving, fiction reading, fiction writing, Santa hats, Thanksgiving2020, Valencia CA | Leave a comment

Doubt (Pub Cheese Edition)

Posted on August 20, 2020 by PB Rippey

I ferried my laptop to the kitchen table and brought up my novel-in-progress. A poppy-orange dawn filtered through window blinds and the coffeemaker hiccupped sighs and I relished being the only human in our house awake, tapping the pg dn … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Writing | Tagged 2020, 2020 mores, Akmak, animals, books, chardonnay, creative nonfiction, doubt, faction, Family, fiction writing, Fritos, iheartyetis?, Inspiration, Literature, National Geographic, NHL2020, positive advice, pub cheese, Tibet, TV, writer's block, Yeti | 4 Comments

It Happens

Posted on July 25, 2020 by PB Rippey

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2020, books, faction, fiction writing, Jaws, life, Literature, Sharks, writer's block, writing, WTF | 1 Comment

Washing My Inheritance

Posted on August 15, 2019 by PB Rippey

My then soon-to-be-husband stated (3rd date, my Echo Park, Los Angeles apartment with the spectacular view I couldn’t afford without working 2 jobs, the last apartment I ever lived in alone): You have a lot of rocks. My Echo Park … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2019, Big Sur, Decorative rocks, Domestic Zoo, Echo Park, faction, fiction writing, Laguna Beach, life, Lockheed, Mesas, moving, nature, Pets, quail, rocks of all sizes, Valencia, wild birds, writing inspiration | Leave a comment

Window Out Of Revision

Posted on March 29, 2019 by PB Rippey

As I continue revising, it’s good to take breaks, even if only for a few minutes, as you probably know. If I’m working in a Starbucks or a library, I bring up pictures on my laptop that are gaze-inducing and … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2019, beach, fiction writing, Inspiration, middle grade writing, poetry, revision, Santa Barbara, writing | Leave a comment

SCBWI WWR 9/2017

Posted on September 13, 2017 by PB Rippey

Me–prepping for the upcoming SCBWI Working Writer’s Retreat: Fortunately I got in, thanks to iphone alerts, Alexa/Echo alerts, the wall calendar with a particular date circled so thickly in red it could never become invisible, no matter the … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Faction, Fiction, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2017, fiction writing, Karaoke, Meryl Streep, middle grade novels, SCBWI, Working Writer's Retreat, writing, Writing conferences | 1 Comment

Ann Patchett’s COMMONWEALTH (In Percentages)

Posted on September 15, 2016 by PB Rippey

Because Maria Semple stated (in an article I read a few days ago) that she is planning to read Ann Patchett’s new novel, ‘Commonwealth’, I (who had no idea Ann Patchett had a new novel coming out, ‘Bel Canto’ still on my … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writer quotes, Writing, WTF | Tagged 1970's, 2016, Ann Patchett, Commonwealth, Divorce, fiction writing, Maria Semple, novels, State of Wonder, writing | Leave a comment

Seasonal Conundrums

Posted on August 14, 2016 by PB Rippey

Researching summer camps for my 8 year old, round about last March/April, I became frustrated: Sports camp in triple digit heat? No. Great white shark and hammerhead shark sightings along our southern coast. Surf camp? No. Science Camp? He loves … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged beach, children's literature, fiction writing, life, Los Angeles, middle grade writing, ocean, personal goals, poetry, Santa Barbara, shark sightings, writing | Leave a comment

Remember the Bunnies

Posted on May 5, 2016 by PB Rippey

WRITER’S RETREAT! Oh, that’s long over now. ‘Tis a distant dream. T’was 2 1/4-ish days of nothing-but-revising, surrounded by foliage, sculpture/fountains and wild bunnies with super white tails. Sequestered in a simple room of my own with a nun’s bed, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2016, bunnies, children's literature, Dogs, fiction writing, life, Los Angeles, writing, writing retreat | 3 Comments

Psychic

Posted on January 5, 2016 by PB Rippey

Somehow I now live in a neighborhood where the man next door is perfectly okay with hanging a sign from his rented eaves. PSYCHIC SERVICES, the sign declares–bold white on not-so-bold, pretty or eye-catching puce–followed by a phone number. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Faction, Fiction, Writing, WTF | Tagged 2016, chaos, fiction writing, gypsy curses, kittens, personal goals, psychics, writing | 2 Comments

Suckers Galore

Posted on October 24, 2015 by PB Rippey

I’ve read, of late: All The Light We Cannot See, The Luminaries (I sense a pun), Station Eleven, The Orphan Master’s Son (I sense a rhyme–no, it is, it is a rhyme), Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction | Tagged 2015, fiction writing, mollusks, non-fiction writing, Oceans, Octopuses, Sy Montgomery, The Soul of an Octopus, writing | Leave a comment

Sugar Cookies (‘Is Mars in Retrograde’ Edition)

Posted on September 19, 2015 by PB Rippey

My son and his dad have a game in which my son pumps his legs hard and gets one of the swings on our creaky set to as high as he can without giving me a heart attack, and my … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Faction, Writing | Tagged 2015, Dogs, domestic bliss, fiction writing, gunshots, kids, Los Angeles, memoir on acid, personal goals, poetry, suburbia, writer's angst | 5 Comments

Fire

Posted on August 4, 2015 by PB Rippey

We left our drought-socked stifling valley at 815am and by 2pm—Hwy 99 to orchard-heavy back roads with stop signs, to another “highway”, to back roads with stop signs and colonies of slender giants we realized were members of the Stanislaus … Continue reading →

Posted in Faction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2015, CA, Dogs, fiction writing, forest fire, Groveland, poetry, Pyrite, Stanislaus National Forest, vacation, writer's angst, writer's retreat, writing, Yosemite | 12 Comments

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PB learns to ride the unicycle!
UPDATE: my unicycle hangs from a hook in our garage. Sometimes I tell it: I'll be back.January 1, 2025
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