This morning I remembered something my friend and colleague Neal Shusterman, who writes YA novels and does quite well at it, said some years back.  It was either when we were in Fictionaires together (an Orange County-based writing group where I also got to know T. Jefferson Parker, Elizabeth George, Jo-Ann Mapson, Maureen Taylor Smith, and Don Stanwood), or during an interview when he was on Writers on Writing, or for an article I wrote for Poets & Writers, but he said rather than writing a number of words or pages during any given day, he had a number he had to reach for the week. So if one day he wrote one, and another day, two, the next day he might write eight, to make up for not writing much previous days. Lately I’ve been doing just that.

For me, the number per day, five days a week, is four pages.  So every week, I need to write 20 pages of the novel I started a little more than two months ago.  I’m up to page 200.  I’m aiming for 240.

If you’re having trouble with a certain number of words or pages a day, give this a try.  A certain number every week offers a certain flexibility and latitude that works for writers like me, and maybe

Lydia Denworth, journalist and author of I Can Hear You Whisper: An Intimate Journey through the Science of Sound and Language, and screenwriter Deena Goldstone, author of the short story collection, Tell Me One Thing,talk with guest host Nicole Nelson.

Download audio

We are in our semi-anual fund drive until May 2, 2014, and possibly till May 4, depending on how it goes. Every donation helps; please consider contributing: (949) 824-5824, (949) UCI-KUCI or www.kuci.org/donations.  Indicate that you’re donating in the name of Writers on Writing.  The university has cut back 20% of their support and the station needs your help to keep the lights on.   Thank you so much for your support.

(Broadcast date: April 23, 2014)

A little piece I did for The ASJA Word. How to deal with time and life when you’re about to blow. Right here.

Lots of literary events coming up in the next month, so if you’re in the area or planning to be in the area, try to make one.

On March 29 is Ladies of Intrigue. Here‘s the website.

Here’s the panel lineup
PROGRAM
8:00 A.M. – 8:45 A.M. REGISTRATION A time to purchase books by the authors
Coffee, tea and muffins
8:45 A.M. – 9:00 A.M. INTRODUCTION of Sisters in Crime Authors
President Gayle Carline
9:00 A.M. – 9:45 A.M. DOWN A DARK ALLEY How Setting Shapes Story
Panelists: Jan Burke; Naomi Hirahara; Jeri Westerson; Patricia Wynn. Moderator: Patricia Smiley
9:45 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. TOUGH COOKIES Strong Female Characters
Panelists: Jill Amadio; Carol Higgins Clark; Tammy
Kaehler; Sheila Lowe. Moderator: Terri Nolan
10:30 A.M. – 10:45 A.M. BREAK
10:45 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. FEATURED SPEAKER CAROLYN HART
11:30 A.M. – 12:30 A.M. ROUNDTABLE BOOK SIGNINGS for speakers and
panelists. BOOK SALES
12:30 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. LUNCH
1:30 P.M. – 2:15 P.M. PASSPORT REQUIRED Mystery Goes International
Panelists: Cara Black; Lisa Brackmann; Kim Fay;
Jeannie Matthews. Moderator: Aileen Baron
2:15 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. FEATURED SPEAKER RHYS BOWEN
3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. BOOK SIGNINGS AND BOOK SALES
CONCLUSION OF PROGRAM

On April 5 is Literary Orange.
I have a memoir panel at 11:00 with Lori Duron, Alison Singh Gee, Reyna Grande.
Here’s the website.

And on April 12-13 is the Los Angeles Festival of Books. My panel is Sunday, noon, with Jillian Cantor, Scott O’Connor, Marisa Silver, and Zachary Lazar. Here’s the website.

Here’s a recent Q&A I did with true crime writer Caitin Rother for The ASJA Monthly (asjamonthly.org), which I edit. Here it is. Her current book will be of special interest to the denizens of Orange County, CA, because it’s about a local murder that was much publicized in the news. In this Q&A, Rother talks about how she picks her subjects, how she does research, and how she writes.

So happy to post this link to my story, just out in The Big Click. If you read “Crazy for You” in USA noir: Best of the Akashic Noir Series, this story takes place at the same converted motel as “Crazy for You.” New characters, same place, for a interconnected short story collection. Thanks to editor Seth Cadin for taking no time at all to decide he wanted it, and thanks to you for taking a look.