http://patry.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Patry Francis en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:51:26 GMT 2010-01-07T16:51:26Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977618658   cotuit , originally uploaded by  patryfrancis . “The world belongs to the energetic.” For several years, I had this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson taped inside a cabinet door. . . . Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:35:48 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977618658 Patry Francis 2009-03-09T20:35:48Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977299280 It wasn't a trip I wanted to take; there were no beaches or cocktail hours; and the only souvenirs I brought home are carved into my abdomen. And yet, I traveled far, saw things I'd never seen . . . Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:05:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977299280 Patry Francis 2008-04-01T20:05:33Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977296789 Last night, I couldn't sleep. Maybe I'd been spoiled by three nights in my own bed. Or maybe as night is just a particularly vulnerable time for people in the hospital. . . . Sun, 30 Mar 2008 01:02:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977296789 Patry Francis 2008-03-30T01:02:33Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977293475 During my twelve days in the hospital, I outlasted five roommates. The last one had attempted suicide in a particularly violent manner, and ended up with abdominal surgery. Through the curtains, . . . Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:17 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977293475 Patry Francis 2008-03-26T00:00:17Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977287966 Well, it's a good thing I didn't worry before my surgery last week. It's a good thing that I reveled in every moment of being at home, rather than spoiling it by mentally leaping into "what . . . Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:06:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977287966 Patry Francis 2008-03-19T02:06:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977279564 When he was growing up, my son, Gabe, always requested the same dinner on his birthday: lasagna and mashed potatoes. These days we skip the mashed potatoes, but still honor the tradition.Forget the gifts; . . . Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:01:11 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977279564 Patry Francis 2008-03-09T05:01:11Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977241024 I promise to stop wriitng about "my trip to the hospital" soon. Very soon! But apparently, I'm a classic case of a writer who doesn't get out much. It's not that I don't see . . . Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:42:46 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977241024 Patry Francis 2008-01-26T21:42:46Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977236989 I've never really had the urge to write a special post commemorating a federal holiday, but yesterday I did. It's probably because recently I've been thinking a lot about Martin Luther King. . . . Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:20:43 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977236989 Patry Francis 2008-01-22T18:20:43Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977232828 For most of my life, the view from this writer's window was a lonely one. Though it wasn't without its magic, it was distinctly lacking in  human warmth. As a professional waitress . . . Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:20:10 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977232828 Patry Francis 2008-01-18T03:20:10Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977187236 Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Then the news got worse: a cat scan revealed spots on my liver, a possible metastasis. So how does a lifelong neurotic and avowed . . . Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:06:29 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977187236 Patry Francis 2007-11-26T22:06:29Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977177181 Unless you live and work in a walkable city with good public transportation, you are probably dependent on your car (and the gas that runs it) for everything from earning your bread and butter to driving . . . Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:32:42 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977177181 Patry Francis 2007-11-14T19:32:42Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977168313 When I was in the sixth grade, I liked nothing better than to bring a pad of paper and a clipboard to school, and poll my classmates. Pen in hand, I thought I was acting the part of a girl reporter as . . . Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:46:01 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977168313 Patry Francis 2007-11-06T02:46:01Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977164999 Every year in November, an increasing number of word-intoxicated, aspring novelists, commit to the fun, the madness, the sheer exhilaration of trying to produce a novel in a month. If you're a writer, . . . Fri, 02 Nov 2007 03:33:49 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977164999 Patry Francis 2007-11-02T03:33:49Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977130025 In publishing, a false dichotomy has developed between "character-driven novels," often called literary, which means likely to be nominated for prestigious prizes and reviewed in The New York . . . Wed, 10 Oct 2007 04:46:05 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977130025 Patry Francis 2007-10-10T04:46:05Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977121325 Many authors say that publication day is a bit of a letdown. They may not have expected bells ringing in the square, or strangers crossing the street to ask for an autograph, but they expected--well, something. . . . Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:15:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977121325 Patry Francis 2007-09-19T04:15:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977118140     The muse and I have struggled mightily this summer. In the spring, things were looking great! I wrote up a synopsis to a new novel and sent it around to a few friends. All agreed (as friends . . . Sat, 15 Sep 2007 19:47:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977118140 Patry Francis 2007-09-15T19:47:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977110550 Okay, John Stanford probably wasn't talking to writers when he revealed his secret to success. He probably wasn't thinking about how to create unforgettable charcters, or how to make your screenplay . . . Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:38:13 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977110550 Patry Francis 2007-09-08T15:38:13Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977102986     Earlier this year, when my book tour took me to Oak Park, Illinois, I became enthralled by the homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The legendary architect lived, dreamed, and created . . . Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:16:48 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977102986 Patry Francis 2007-08-31T18:16:48Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977090443 One reason it took me such a long time to finish college--or for college to be finished with me--was that I couldn't seem to focus on my requirements. I was supposed to be a "Communication Studies" . . . Sun, 19 Aug 2007 03:43:31 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977090443 Patry Francis 2007-08-19T03:43:31Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977087389 If you want to understand the importance of voice in fiction, read page 1 of Patricia Wood's deeply affecting debut novel, Lottery. I can almost guarantee you will be instantly hooked.  No one . . . Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:33:23 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977087389 Patry Francis 2007-08-16T04:33:23Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977080572 1. Express gratitude. Whether to God or to the universe, to the person waking up beside you in the bed, or to the sun that has graciously agreed to light another day for you, let your first words be "Thank . . . Thu, 09 Aug 2007 05:37:11 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977080572 Patry Francis 2007-08-09T05:37:11Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977061176 For a long time while I was in between novels, I saw the world in blog posts and Gather articles. Everything and everyone around me was part of a grand and unpredictable tale that might be written about, . . . Fri, 20 Jul 2007 02:44:27 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977061176 Patry Francis 2007-07-20T02:44:27Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977044478 I’ve always believed that no matter what you do for work, whether you’re waitressing, as I did for many years, or teaching truculent adolescents, or delivering the mail, you owe it to yourself . . . Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:01:03 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977044478 Patry Francis 2007-07-01T04:01:03Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977028106 Two weeks ago in New York, I had the privilege of appearing on a panel at the Backspace Conference. It was my first experience at a writing conference, and one I'd recommend to anyone in our solitary . . . Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:40:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977028106 Patry Francis 2007-06-13T04:40:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977011327 When I entered high school, there was a war going on. Every night the local paper printed the addresses of soldiers who wanted to get mail. I wrote to every name on the list, and used my babysitting money . . . Sun, 27 May 2007 20:44:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977011327 Patry Francis 2007-05-27T20:44:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977003146 One cliche about the writing life says that lots of people want to have written, but few want to actually sit down and write. After conducting my own experiments in creative procrastination for many years, . . . Fri, 18 May 2007 05:26:37 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977003146 Patry Francis 2007-05-18T05:26:37Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976975551 The first booksigning I did was at the New England Booksellers’ Association. I appeared in the Penguin booth, which gave me a terrific opportunity to meet some of the local and national sales people . . . Fri, 04 May 2007 04:40:19 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976975551 Patry Francis 2007-05-04T04:40:19Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976972270 1. I started a new novel!  2. I was sitting in my office, drinking strong coffee with a decadent dollop of cream, feeling safe and cozy when thunder and hailstones rat-a-tatting on the roof and windows, . . . Tue, 01 May 2007 04:15:37 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976972270 Patry Francis 2007-05-01T04:15:37Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976969430 Some authors have made crafting a novel around the latest hot topic their particular specialty. The first one who comes to mind is Jodi Picoult. She  has written engaging and deeply felt stories about . . . Fri, 27 Apr 2007 01:27:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976969430 Patry Francis 2007-04-27T01:27:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976968603 First of all, let me say that the reason I haven't listed my 3 good things in over a week hasn't been because the days haven't contained any. Impossible!  No, the reason I've neglected . . . Thu, 26 Apr 2007 03:29:11 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976968603 Patry Francis 2007-04-26T03:29:11Z