I love ghost stories. Particularly the whole gothic genre of the nineteenth century: intense questioning of reality layered with beautiful houses and dramatic landscapes and sometimes hilariously-dated kitsch. I’ve read all of Mrs. Radcliffe. Whooee! I especially love the concept that my love for ghost stories is the other side… Read more“7 Things I Learned Last Week from Stephen King”
Month: January 2012
Seeking publication for children’s educational lit
Hi Victoria. I have a question for you. Hope you don’t mind. A friend who raises service dogs has written a children’s book. Her story is about a service dog & puppy raiser, intended to teach children about disabilities. She’s wondering where to go next. I know it’s hard for… Read more“Seeking publication for children’s educational lit”
11 Things My Grandmother Said About Writing
In honor of having given up sleep last week (apparently after fifty years you’ve had all the sleep you need), I’m going to introduce you today to my grandmother, to whom I was very close and who gave me most of the instructions that now guide my life. She didn’t… Read more“11 Things My Grandmother Said About Writing”
107 Things You Should Know About Being Published
We’re jumping in the Way-Back Machine today. This was the very first of my numbered-list posts—from January, 2010—and the comments are still some of my favorites! You’re not going to get rich. You’re probably not even going to be able to pay your bills. In fact, money is going to… Read more“107 Things You Should Know About Being Published”
New advice column on Writer Unboxed
Ask Victoria. That’s what Therese Walsh dubbed it when we came up with the idea of an editor’s advice column on the new, up-coming Writer Unboxed newsletter. We’d been wanting to collaborate for a long time, take our guest appearances on each other’s blogs to the next level. As soon… Read more“New advice column on Writer Unboxed”
10 Ways Writing Fiction is Like Performing for a Camera
Hey, guys, I just spent the entire day trying to develop video for this blog. Guess what? That’s right. So let’s talk about how my experiment with video mimics the experience of writing fiction: It always seems like such a good idea at the time. Who has not begun a… Read more“10 Ways Writing Fiction is Like Performing for a Camera”
Celebrating New Year’s Day 2012
A writer falls over a cliff and is clinging helplessly to a vine while two editors crouch on the edge, shouting advice. Suddenly the writer sees the most beautiful strawberry in the world just out of reach. “Reach for it!” cries the first editor. “A perfect thing is worth the… Read more“Celebrating New Year’s Day 2012”