JOANNA ELM, Author, Journalist, Attorney
The Pleasures and Perils Of A Writing Life
Don’t get me wrong, I love Fall. Always loved it. Back-to-School (first for me, then for my son) meant buying new writing supplies. Still love buying new writing supplies. It’s also time to get out sweaters and scarves after sweating in 90-degree temperatures, and replacing the hibiscuses with pumpkins and chrysanthemums. Continue reading “GoodBye Summer: We Had A Swell Time”
I just binge-watched the best drama Netflix has brought to viewers this year. Maybe ever. It’s a harrowing eight-parter called Unbelievable. Continue reading “Unbelievable: A Harrowing Tale Of A Serial Rapist’s Victim”
My husband, Joe, bought these gorgeous roses for me. He thought they would brighten my week as I plowed through another set of edits, revisions and changes.
What! you say. More edits? More revisions? Are you kidding me? Didn’t you just sign with a literary agent? Continue reading “When Your Agent Says: Love Your Novel, Now Change It”
Yes, that was my week, last week. Bad stories, Bad blood. Bad, bad, bad. In fact, it was so bad, it was great!!!! Bear with me.
First, I got an email invitation from the Cream Literary Alliance, a writers’ group in Palm Beach. It was for a three-hour workshop. It contained that magic word, “obsession.” I love that word. I especially love it when it’s the driving force in a novel. (Obsessive love –is there any other kind?– was the antagonist’s motive in my first novel, Scandal.) Last week’s invitation promised that Steve Almond would teach a craft class on How To Turn Your Obsessions into Irresistible Prose. Continue reading “Bad Stories, Bad Blood: It’s Been A “Bad” Week”
Come on ‘fess up! How are your books arranged on your bookshelves? By author? By genre? By fiction titles on one shelf? Non-fiction titles on the next? Or, no order at all?(photo above) Continue reading “So You Think A Book Is Just A Book?”