Sometimes it's easier to draw what I'm thinking than putting that thought into words. The title of this piece is "Not So Black and White". It has always cracked me up when people have described my work as "happy". Sure, I admit it does have a jaunty air about it but in reality even some of my most whimsical pieces have their own level of darkness lurking just below the surface.

Take this piece for example. I had been going round and round with someone about what they thought was the right thing to do as far as the situation they'd found themselves in. "I just wish it was black and white!" they'd cried in frustration. But it rarely ever is in life. And I'm not sure your writing should be either.

It's the shades of gray that give tone and depth, light and shadow to a piece of writing. Yes, there are times I want to be slammed on the head by a passage. But slammed on the head over and over? Not so much. The same goes for where it's nothing but a white sea of vanilla for pages. Not as painful as getting slammed on the head, but isn't boring its own kind of painful?

I'm neck deep in revising my latest novel. And I've found some black there and waaaaaaay too much white. So now my job is to add those areas of gray where they're needed - and they really are desperately needed. While I'm at it, orange or green might not be so bad either. Or chartreuse, or teal, or maybe - dare I try....

puce?