Sylvia Patience, Author

I’ve started working on another book, a middle grade story which is told from the point of view of a dog. So my “research” includes reading How to Speak Dog by Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology who has written a lot about dogs. An interesting theory he discusses is that our association with dogs Read more

The walk to raise money for the ALS Association that took place today in Monterey was a great success. $36,000 in donations had been counted before checks were turned in today. Thank you so much for your donations, good wishes, and/or positive thoughts. With your support I raised $345, surpassing my goal of $240. It Read more

I’ve blogged about the Santa Cruz Peace Chorale before of course. During this month of September enrollment is open for the Peace Chorale for our upcoming season, and we are short on members. If you enjoy singing, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve ever sung in a choir before, and if you want to do something Read more

Okay, here is one of my pet peeves: people who walk their dogs on the beach and pick up the poop, then leave it sitting there in a plastic bag. I don’t know if they plan to come back for it, or they think they’ve done their part by containing it. But I hate to Read more

My most important tip, and what I keep reminding myself, is to write and write and write. It’s so easy to be distracted. I can think of twenty other things I have to do first, including sending out query letters, researching obscure points for the manuscript, and revising for the hundredth time. All important, maybe, Read more

I’m feeling rejected. In fact, I’ve been rejected, again and again. So I thought I’d write about it. I’ve been submitting queries for Wandering Time to literary agents (a few times a week) and either getting no response, a form rejection letter, or, most rewarding, a personal, even encouraging rejection letter such as the one Read more