We’ve got another cloudy morning here in the Pacific Northwest as spring winds down. I’m working on another manuscript with the deadline fast approaching–it’s the third in a thriller series and is appropriately twisty, fast-paced, and more than a little scary. As usual, I’m trying to turn up the thrill and tension. And speaking […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Jessica Page Morrell' Category
Tribal: Part 2
We’ve got a changing weather pattern happening that’s destined to hang around after a bout of cold, unseasonal temperatures, waking to frost in May, snow accumulations in the mountains, and profound rainfalls drenching the valleys. On Sunday I ventured out to a giant, outdoor plant and garden sale wearing a heavy sweatshirt and jeans, tbick […]
Read the rest of this entry »Tribal: Advice for Writers
It’s a chalky-sky morning here in the Pacific Northwest. It started raining last Thursday and there have been deluges and downpours and drizzles. This is a pause before more rain returns tonight. I’m still practically swooning in gratitude. Because rain washes away pollen. Let me set the table here: Over the years I’ve become allergic […]
Read the rest of this entry »April already?
It’s a Saturday afternoon in the lovely Pacific Northwest. Despite medications {plural} my is head thick and eyes burning from allergies as the nearby, behemoth cottonwoods are blooming. Not to mention all the other trees around here. Then, too, my back is complaining from yesterday’s gardening bout that included digging and hoeing. So I’ve been […]
Read the rest of this entry »Pay Attention
Do stuff, be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention, attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager. ~ Susan Sontag, Vassar College commencement address
Read the rest of this entry »Really good novels don’t have everything on the page
Sometimes what you leave out is as important as what you include. From the archives: One trick to keep writing tight and vivid is to avoid expositional dialogue. Find advice for achieving this in my archives. (I’ve written a lot here.) Along those lines, here’s a piece I wrote on Subtlety. And here’s advice about […]
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