(Re)Writing God of the Hive

The first excerpt for The God of the Hive is here, to be followed by others on the 27th of January, February, and March.  For those curious about the creative process (who among us is not?) each will be followed by a post showing the first draft of that section, with brief remarks talking about…

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To everything, a season

There are as many styles of writing as there are writers—and I don’t mean the words on the page; I mean how they get there. I have writer friends who work set hours, every day without fail, year around, as if they were clocking in at a warehouse or office. I know others who take…

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Writer on the ground

It’s always reassuring when memory and photographs combine to create a correct setting for a scene, rather than a setting absolutely impossible for what you’d intended.  I finally got into London yesterday to check on the details of Westminster Bridge, which plays a major part in the ending scenes of The Green Man (name to…

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The Green Man flies

The Green Man–rewrite finished, although never to my complete satisfaction–has zipped its electronic way across the country and landed in my editor’s computer. 427 pages, some of which are not at all bad. Look for it, and its author, in your local bookshop in June 2010. Not under that name: I hope to have its…

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Name that baby!

You thought that once the Fifteen Weeks of Bees were over, we’d be finished with contests, right?  Ah no, we’re just beginning. How creative are you feeling?  Well, sharpen those pencils and wits, kids, because Laurie needs a title.  That’s right, The Green Man just doesn’t do it.  As a working title, sure, because it’s about…

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Breathing in and out

Following a tour, I set aside days to breathe in, and breathe out. I tidy and scrub, I unpack my suitcase and shove it into the back of the closet, I wander out to the deck with a cup of coffee and reflect that I really should do something about the weeds.  I go to…

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Writing with a bulldozer

I had some questions about the seder songs I talked about last week.  My son-in-law’s sister tells me she took them from here and here, so now you’re all set for next year, right? ***** This week I sent the first draft of the next book to my editor.  The Green Man is nothing near…

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