A CUP OF JOE by Melodie Johnson There is an expression that I detest: “Wake up and smell the roses.” I not only hate it for its inane mediocre sentiment, but for its tone. It insists. It demands. It’s not unlike the Nike ad that snapped, “Just do it.” Another version of this command is, […]

ON PACING by Melodie Johnson Howe I was zipping through my emails when I noticed an announcement for a writer’s workshop. The subject was: On Pacing. There was no subtitle. I began to wonder how one would teach pacing. First of all the instructor would need a large room so the writers could walk back […]

GUMSHOE WARDROBE AND MEETING MR. MOTO by Melodie Johnson Howe Phillip Marlowe is certainly one of the great private eyes, if not the greatest. When we first meet him in The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler has Marlowe describe himself right down to his socks. Yes, his socks. “ … black wool socks with dark blue […]

THE BIG LIE AND WHY I WILL NEVER WRITE SCIENCE FICTION by Melodie Johnson Howe It all started when I was nine years old and I became a Bluebird. I’m talking about one of those girl organizations that sell cookies and camp out in the wilderness. The Bluebird’s uniforms were great looking: little red vest, […]

WHO WAS THAT MASKED WRITER? by Melodie Johnson Howe It’s Sunday night. I’m writing this while watching the Academy Awards at the same time. Viewing this show must be done with a good friend, good food, and a lot of good wine; otherwise it’s hard to swallow. I’m already confused. The actresses all look alike […]

HOW I FOUND VIRGINITY AND MY VOICE by Melodie Johnson Howe Voice is one of those “writerly” terms that are thrown around in writer’s workshops and discussed on author panels. It’s a term that drives me crazy, because none of us really know how to define it. Asking a writer how she developed her voice […]

GIRL TALK by Melodie Johnson Howe Girlfriends are major necessities in the lives of women. Women by our very nature and the way our brains work need to talk. Express our emotions. We must explain how we feel. Even if we have to go over and over and over the same territory. Our need to […]