Patricia Harrelson

    Ever since I first heard about NaNoWriMo  in the late 90s from a friend whose nephew was doing it, I wanted to give it a try. It seemed like an incredible undertaking, and for a while I didn’t think … Continue reading

The book is out! The Right Sisters was published in June and our book launch is August 14 in Sonora. Ever since the project was finished in late April and the manuscript went to the publisher, I have felt strangely … Continue reading

var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “https://www.”); document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”)); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(“UA-10694814-2”); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}Since it is not always possible to secure a wonderful retreat at some place … Continue reading

Last week I spent four days writing in a motel room. The opportunity for deeply focused work is certainly a luxury I can’t afford very often, either in terms of time or money. But I’m committed to finding ways to … Continue reading

Yesterday, I put together a registration form for the 2009 Medocino Coast Writers Conference. This morning I read an article in Poets & Writers (May/June 2009) entitled “Conferences, Festivals Taking a Hit.” The juxtaposition helped me answer a question I’d … Continue reading

The other day when I went for my physical, the nurse practitioner asked how my book was doing. After listening to my report, she said that when she retired, she was going to write. She said she had all kinds … Continue reading

I know I lucked out in graduate school when I ended up in a seminar lead by Paul Lisicky. The man is not only an exceptional writer, he simply rocks as a teacher. I learned so much from him that … Continue reading

I’m a huge believer in the writer’s critique group. Near the end of my first writing workshop about 20 years ago, the facilitator talked about writing groups and encouraged us to hook up with one another to continue sharing and … Continue reading

Bloggers everywhere having been posting resolutions for 2009 for over a week. This post–eleven days into the new year–and the lack of posts for about 8 weeks, decries the need for a writing resolution, or more specifically a blogging resolution. … Continue reading

According to Chris Baty, the creator of NaNoWriMo, “The biggest thing separating people from their artistic ambitions is lack of a deadline.”  That’s why the plan to write a novel in a month works so well. The event creates a … Continue reading