Writing Habits

Welcome to 500 Words Three decades ago, the science fiction and Afrofuturist writer Octavia Butler wrote about a dysfunctional Los Angeles struggling with climate change and ravaged by fire. Her...

I woke up today thinking how I’ve taught myself how to write a better novel over the last three years. But no writer is self taught. We all have teachers. ...

Yesterday, during the class I teach for USC, I gave some clear guidelines to the students about how we will use AI. If English is not your first language, I...

Welcome to 500 Words. Firefighters are working to contain the wildfires and making progress. We’re back in our apartment. My youngest son is back in middle school. But it still...

It’s hard to describe our situation in Los Angeles. So much is gone and will never return. We are safe. We escaped the Palisades fire, leaving with our go bag...