My friend Susan Straight and I have been swapping manuscripts-in-progress since graduating from the MFA program at the University of Massachusetts,
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Should You Send Your Child to a Prep School? Yes, No, and Maybe So
Right about now, parents across the country are agonizing over whether or not to send their child to a private high school as
Read MoreHow Launching a Book is Like Sending Your Kid to College
This month, as I gear up to launch my new novel, BEACH PLUM ISLAND, on April 1, it occurs to me that there are lots of similarities between sending
Read MoreHow to Keep Your Writing Warm When You Can’t Write
It's a blessing to take a writer's retreat, whether you do it officially at a place like Yaddo or the MacDowell
Read MoreSexless but Equal: How I Conquered Valentine’s Day and the NYT
Last Sunday, the lead article on the hot pink cover of the The New York Times magazine was “Sexless but Equal.” It was well-timed for Valentine's Day,
Read MoreShould You Write a Memoir or a Novel? 4 Key Questions
You have a great story to tell about something that happened to you. But should it be fiction or a memoir? The answer to that question is less
Read MoreHow Old is Too Old for a Main Character?
I wanted to dismiss the recent essay dissing aging heroines in the New York Times Book Review even though it was written by
Read MoreNovel Building from the Bones up: Two Pros Contrast Indie vs. Traditional Writing Process
First of all, let's define “pro:” for the purposes of this article, a pro is someone who earns his/her primary income
Read MoreWhy You Should Walk (Hint: It’s Not for the Exercise)
A few years ago, I was having my annual physical when my physician made one of those squinched-up faces that sets off alarm bells. When you
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