Robin Brande, Author, Dog Lover, Coffee and Chocolate Addict. Living an Interesting Life.

Fiction author Robin Brande talks about writing, reading, and other vital matters

For writers, readers, and independent thinkers–book and story reviews by writers and readers, writers’ motivational articles, war stories from the publishing trenches, literary trends, religious controversies, free chocolate, and more.

Archive for October, 2007

The black hole

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

I know some of you can relate: to my headache, to the three times I’ve cried today–only one of them on the phone with someone.
My internet decided yesterday that I should be able to access all websites but my own. For no particular reason. Which also meant no e-mail, since that goes […]

Tuesday Book Club–Wake

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

It’s funny, but ever since I declared that for the rest of the year I only have to read the six books I’ve been wanting to read for months, I keep getting seduced by these other fabulous books. I pick them up, read a page, then have to read straight through in a day.
So […]

When desire meets opportunity

Monday, October 29th, 2007

I had SUCH a great time in Phoenix the past four days. Sure I talked more in that time than I’m used to talking in a month–thanks to a book signing and school presentations and teaching two back-to-back half-day writing workshops–but it was all joyful work, so the lingering exhaustion I feel right now […]

The Friday List (nice things you’ve done for yourself this week)

Friday, October 26th, 2007

Sorry I’m late posting this morning, but it’s because I did what I’ve been doing all week: slept for 7 solid hours.
Remember The Great Sleep Experiment? Well, somehow I got away from that. And this past week–my first full week at home after weeks of traveling–I instituted the program again, and I […]

That book wouldn’t let me write it yet

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

Last night I went to hear a talk by Ed Viesturs, legendary mountaineer and well-known cool-headed guy. (Here he is with other sports and adventure icons on the 30th- anniversary cover of Outside, along with Lance Armstrong, Lynn Hill, and the rest of that burly crowd.) (Just so you know, Ed is the […]

More writers’ laundry

Wednesday, October 24th, 2007

I’m not calling it dirty laundry, just laundry. You guys seemed to like some of that behind-the-scenes analysis of writers and their money issues, so I thought I’d show you these other discussions going on:
J.A. Konrath on whether writers should charge for speaking engagements;
J.A. Konrath on why some writers suck at selling their own […]

Tuesday Book Club–Spanking Shakespeare

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

There are few pleasures in life like a book that makes you laugh out loud, so please let me introduce you to one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long, long time:
Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner. It’s about 17-year-old Shakespeare Shapiro, a young man who lives up to both the promise and […]

Writers and money

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

I’ve been having so many different conversations lately with various writer friends about different kinds of money issues, and I thought maybe some of you might have some of the same thoughts/issues/questions. So here’s a rundown:
A few years ago I attended a writers conference that completely, utterly rocked my world. It was a […]

Thank you for the chocolate!

Friday, October 19th, 2007

Oh my gosh! What a wonderful surprise! I just picked up the mail, and there in the midst of it was a big white box, and inside the box were the most beautiful chocolates–actually called “artisanal” chocolates because they are individual works of art–hand-crafted, hand-decorated, and DELICIOUS. There is absolutely nothing like […]

The Friday List–the Quitter’s Edition

Friday, October 19th, 2007

Sometimes it feels good to quit. Sometimes it feels GREAT to quit. Sometimes you realize you’ve gone from loving something to tolerating it, to then feeing obligated, to finally resenting it. And there’s that sweet spot where you want to get out, right before you’re totally completely burnt.
This week I found the […]