We’re building a shed this fall. The first thing we did was measure the space and pour a concrete pad on the ground for the foundation. We drilled the wood frame into the concrete. We used hurricane clips for the walls and trusses — steel clamps that hold the building in place even in high… [Read More]
The magical powers of a bookseller.
Last month I spent some time on Cortes Island — a remote island off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. At the Hollyhock Centre, I let an incredible group of twenty writers loose in the wild every day for a week. I asked them to come back from the forest with craft lessons from… [Read More]
What Personality Type Is Your Character?
Try using personality types as a kind of scaffolding when you set characters in scene. Put them together and see how they are different, and where they are similar. When I was exploring Eleven and Lilian’s characters in my novel Radiant Shimmering Light, I made notes on their Myers-Briggs personality types. Lilian is an INFP,… [Read More]
Writing from a state of calm.
I’ve known Suzanne Andrew for more than a decade. I know her to be a prolific journalist who has always impressed me with her productivity and high standards. When I asked her to write a piece for my site this summer, it was a pleasure and a surprise to learn about the stall she felt… [Read More]
Digital Minimalism
I was reading Cal Newport’s new book, Digital Minimalism, and after a few chapters, I realized oh hey! I’m a digital minimalist. …for each optional technology that you’re considering re-introducing into your life, you must first ask: Does this technology directly support something that I deeply value? This is the only condition on which you… [Read More]
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