Jan
2020
10 Memories \ Writing Exercise
I took an online writing workshop with One Story last year, and one of the exercises from it that I loved most was one intended to show people how to take real memories and turn them into fictional stories. Memories have all kinds of strong associations, and the detail that comes from them helps make fiction feel real as well. After coming up with the list of 10 memories, pick[...]
Jan
2019
Grimsby’s Hollow
It is summer, and in the shadow of the mountains the people of Grimsby’s Hollow are serenaded by cicadas and the sweet scents of timberwine and salted steaks burning over charcoal. These are the first days of harvest, when men laugh and their cups run over. A grand celebration is held on the west field, where the children laugh and play and boys give chase to girls. Ichabod Grimsby,[...]
Jan
2019
Evelyn Grimsby on Growing Up
Sometimes when I get stuck with a story, or when I'm having a little trouble writing, I try to write bits and pieces of conversations to figure out who a character is and how they see the world. Evelyn's mother, Maeve, spent the first part of her life as a slave, and that experience colored who she was as a parent, and how she raised her daughter. This is another[...]
Jan
2019
The Time Evelyn Grimsby Fell in Love
When I first started writing the Grimsby & Wulf stories, I had this idea to use footnotes to explain every little side reference or adventure, but it just didn't fit. This is one of the ones that didn't make it, destined instead for the dustbin. Evelyn Grimsby fell in love only once, when she was twelve years old. It was a moonlit summer night, and fireflies were dancing in the[...]