I’ve been thinking about families lately. Specifically, two kinds of family: the kind we are born into and the kind we create for ourselves among the strangers we meet in the course of our lives.… Read More »Family

Does the rise of artificial intelligence make you want to scream, “AI, caramba!”? * While there’s speculation that AI may cost some people their jobs, writers worry that AI will lead to rampant plagiarism. All… Read More »Whose Words Are These?

When I pitched my first book to a publisher, I described it as a mystery. “Tell me about it,” said the acquisitions editor. After hearing the the storyline, she asked to see the full manuscript… Read More »Mystery Suspense! Thriller!

How do you describe what writing a novel is like? Here’s E.L. Doctorow’s version: Some say writing is similar to riding a bike: you start out slow and wobbly, but then you get the hang… Read More »Gay Yellen: Writing a novel is like…

Like many sports fans last week, our TV was tuned to the Olympics. Gymnasts, swimmers, divers, track-and-fielders. Such amazing athletes! This year, for the first time, we also watched skateboarding. Skateboarding may not strike purists… Read More »Olympic Skates

Two fictional characters are making me crazy. One’s a famous villain, the other, a hero, and lately, they’ve pulled a switcheroo. Cruella de Vil, the nefarious puppy kidnapper of Dodie Smith’s novel, The Hundred and… Read More »Cruella and Me

A wonderful friend threw a fabulous launch party for me in 2014 when my first book, The Body Business, was published. And several months later, she bought me a gift I’ll never forget. She said… Read More »Gay Yellen: Block that Gift!

The twining path… Like a double helix, a writer’s journey can follow a twisty trail. One strand—the rational, professional one—involves studying the works of others, honing your own craft, unlocking a door to publishing, and… Read More »A Writer’s Thanksgiving