by Mary | Mar 3, 2014 | EPITAPH, What I'm working on now., Writer Tech
Last night at the Oscars, Robert DeNiro said, “The mind of a writer can be a truly terrifying thing. Isolated, neurotic, caffeine-addled, crippled by procrastination and consumed by feelings of panic, self-loathing and soul-crushing inadequacy. And that’s on a good...
by Mary | Jan 31, 2014 | Edgar Allan Poe, EPITAPH, Natural History of a Novel, What I'm working on now., Writer Tech
The semi-final manuscript for Epitaph went to my agency Dystel and Goderich a month ago. That was the first time they’d seen it since selling the first 150 pages to Ecco at HarperCollins a couple of years ago. If I’d asked for help along the way, I’m...
by Mary | Oct 26, 2013 | EPITAPH, What I'm working on now., Writer Tech
It’s official: Epitaph will be out in the spring of 2015. If you just groaned about having to wait so long, thank you. Personally? I’m not distressed. The manuscript was due next month and since there’s a long process between submission and...
by Mary | Sep 15, 2013 | DOC, EPITAPH, Writer Tech, WYATT
“Quit teasing us!” That was a message from a reader on my Facebook page this morning. She was kidding (kind of) but many of you seem to enjoy these Natural History of a Novel blogs, so here’s another. I started writing Epitaph in the spring of 2011...
by Mary | Aug 28, 2013 | EPITAPH, What I'm working on now., Writer Tech
It’s not the book. It’s me. I am completely fed up with every single word I’ve written. I am convinced that there is not a single interesting fact or phrase in the entire manuscript. I am bored numb by every character except for the two who appear at...
by Mary | Jul 28, 2013 | Children of God, DOC, EPITAPH, THE SPARROW, What I'm working on now., Writer Tech
As I type this, I’m printing out the complete first draft of Epitaph. Getting all the way to the end of the story was an excuse for a low-key celebration on Friday evening: a margarita and dinner at Applebee’s, not the champagne and four-star restaurant...