“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
I have a confession to make. While I consider myself to be a major reader, up until about three weeks ago, I had not frequented a library in almost 2 years. Before you judge,I had a good reason (or at least I thought). Life was getting hectic and I have no impulse control. I was… Continue reading Falling Back in Love with the Library
I've read recently that Accomack County Public Schools are suspending To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for their usage of the N-word. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, you can see for yourself in this exert from "Classic novels pulled from Accomack County Public Schools" : Earlier this month, a parent voiced concerns… Continue reading The Suspending of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
I hear readers complain time and time again that they cannot get into a story because the character is a "bad person."Now I can understand not wanting to read something because the character is unbelievable or underdeveloped, but a bad person? I say "bad people" make some of the best characters. Why? Three reasons: 1. They're more… Continue reading Why You Should Love Unloveable Characters
I experience a mixed bag of emotions when I'm rewriting a piece. One emotion is excitement because I'm fixing things I had problems with in the original draft. Another is trepidation because I'm worried that the things I actually did enjoy about my original draft will have to be cut out. Each thing you change… Continue reading Rewriting: Once More with Feeling!
The Crooked Pen 