Has it really been over a month since I posted? Shame on me! In case I haven't mentioned it before, I'm going to mention it again: it is quite common for a writer's characters to talk to them. The character interview is a critical writing tool. It sucks when your characters aren't talking to you. Fay didn't talk to me for three weeks. I've learned that when Fay doesn't talk to me, I'm miserable. I've also learned that when she doesn't talk to me, I don't get any stories,

First, my apologies for being away for so long. Second: Writer's Doubt. The long, dark night of the soul. It happens to every writer, the successful and published along with novices like myself. There are plenty of blog entries about it, encouraging those of us in the grip of doubt, giving us tips on ridding ourselves of the negative energy. It's especially hard when you have nobody close enough to you that understands why you must write and why you must write a particula