Tag Archives: writing

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 , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Respite Rant

Posted on August 19, 2011 by PB Rippey

In the past 24 hours my youngest sister and family made it home to Iowa in what was supposed to be a 3 hour tour, I mean a 4 hour flight, but quickly morphed into one of those all-nighter/early-next-morning nightmares during … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Me and Us, ocean related, Santa Barbara, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Notes From SW

Posted on August 14, 2011 by PB Rippey

Many research scribbles in my notebook, now a crinkled, battered thing from sitting in the soak zones at the marine mammal shows. When you see dolphins, pilot whales and orcas that close, when sharks glide right over your head, when … Continue reading →

Posted in fish, Me and Us, middle grade, ocean related, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quote For The Weekend (Early Edition As Leaving Town For Environs W/No Internet)

Posted on August 5, 2011 by PB Rippey

If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, Fiction, Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rocking Muses

Posted on August 4, 2011 by PB Rippey

YA Muses are having another contest/giveaway and all week have reposted tons of valuable writing advice. Their story is inspirational–seriously, check them out, especially today’s post. Really wish I was going to SCBWI-LA this year so I could meet them … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, To Explain, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tra La La

Posted on July 28, 2011 by PB Rippey

And now there is no time to be afraid of anything as tomorrow my son and I once again head N.O.R.T.H. Our beach awaits. As do sisters and cousins and beachside cafes and grilled cheese sandwiches made by someone other … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, ocean related, Santa Barbara, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quote(s) For The Weekend (Carmageddon Edition)

Posted on July 16, 2011 by PB Rippey

A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after.  ~Peter De Vries The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it.  ~Dudley Moore The longest journey begins with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Me and Us, WTF | Tagged , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Retreat

Posted on July 6, 2011 by PB Rippey

Tomorrow I go off the grid and to my borrowed writing-house, get-away-pad, writing-retreat-with-fountain for a few days. Since there will be no wireless connection, I will revise sans the usual distractions (Facebook, The Pioneer Woman, Yahoo “News”, hulu) while my son eats … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Me and Us, ocean related, Santa Barbara, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quote For The Weekend: Holiday Edition

Posted on July 3, 2011 by PB Rippey

The American Flagfish (captured edition) The best way to enhance freedom in other lands is to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worthy of emulation. —Jimmy Carter

Posted in fish, Me and Us, ocean related, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When I Write

Posted on July 1, 2011 by PB Rippey

I might wake up many times during any night due to: Nightmares involving fedora-wearing aliens intent on making off with my son. The certainty that I have heard a loud noise, which means rising from bed and checking my son’s room and the rest … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, dog, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Poetry, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Going Home

Posted on June 26, 2011 by PB Rippey

The problem with zipping up to my hometown some weekends is not the going-home-traffic turning 75 miles into 750, not that I rarely get any writing done because of the endless activities, not the June gloom (kindly vanishing for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Me and Us, Santa Barbara, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Harsh Is Harsh

Posted on June 21, 2011 by PB Rippey

  Read the 30 Harshest Author-On-Author Insults In History, compiled by writer Emily Temple for Flavorwire: http://flavorwire.com/188138/the-30-harshest-author-on-author-insults-in-history Here are a few samples: 27. Harold Bloom on J.K. Rowling (2000) “How to read ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’? Why, very quickly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Fiction, Writer's Angst, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How Do I Really Feel

Posted on June 20, 2011 by PB Rippey

When an agent lets me know why he/she is passing on my manuscript after a request to read more (but not all), do I honestly appreciate the feedback? Do I? As I morph into the spitting image of Munch’s scream subject (obviously a multiply … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Fiction, middle grade, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quote For Saturday

Posted on June 11, 2011 by PB Rippey

Easy reading is damn hard writing.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Posted in books, Fiction, Writing, WTF | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Piddlings

Posted on June 10, 2011 by PB Rippey

I printed out a “finished” poem and left it on the chair next to my bed desk. I left the room. When I returned, I discovered that fearless, scratches-inflicting, wild, out of control, great white shark-mouthed and terminally cute Diggory-The-Kitten had … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, dog, Me and Us, Parakeet, Poetry, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Monday Tussle

Posted on June 6, 2011 by PB Rippey

Welllllllll…Soooooooooooo…It’s one of those mornings when you use that refrain as you do a Trader Joe’s run, a shoestore run for the little guy, a Target run and a Lowe’s run because you can’t live without knowing if they have … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, fish, Me and Us, middle grade, ocean related, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Notes From Here

Posted on May 30, 2011 by PB Rippey

Beach as mental equalizer (despite persistent wind). Impossible to crack open a book or uncap a pen here (though not because of wind). The way the sand is riled, looks as though whole, transportable cities (twirling towers of particles) are whisking … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, books, Fiction, Me and Us, ocean related, Santa Barbara, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gentle Jurassic Giant

Posted on May 21, 2011 by PB Rippey

Largest fish in the ocean Wonderful piece in the June Smithsonian about whale sharks. If, like me, you are an ocean fanatic (often more than just the armchair variety) and in the throes of revising your middle-grade novel that has everything … Continue reading →

Posted in middle grade, ocean related, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Help

Posted on May 15, 2011 by PB Rippey

 Kathryn Stockett on her rejections and perseverance in More.  Memorable quotes: A year and a half later, I opened my 40th rejection: “There is no market for this kind of tiring writing.” That one finally made me cry. After rejection … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, Book Club, books, Fiction, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments