Category: Contemporary Women Writers
Gondoliers and Writing
Your story sounds like a movie or a book. You should write one. The gazzillionth time I heard those words when first meeting someone was when I decided to take that advice. So began a nine year passage to learning and self-discovery; almost a decade dedicated to writing a story inspired by a chance encounter […]
Writing Is Re-Writing, It Takes A Village
I’ve rewritten most parts of my book at least 100 times. From the moment I first tried to express myself in 2002, I’ve changed the scope and details of my memoir over and over. I’ve learned that it takes a village, not only to raise a child, but to birth a book. The help of […]
When To Take Advice And When To Trust Your Intuition
The first thing people spot when they step into my kitchen is a large painting tacked on the wall above the breadbin. ‘That’s lovely,’ they say. ‘Your son? He’s very artistic.’ They’re right on one score; my son painted it 20 years ago. He was about three. But lovely? That depends. It’s a simple, childish […]
3 Ways to Use “Accidental Research” to Write More Authentic Fiction
It’s a run-of-the-mill question, but one that comes up again and again: “What sort of research did you do for this story?” Whether we’re writing contemporaries or historicals, readers like to know that we’ve done due diligence, and perhaps to discern how much of our fiction could conceivably be real. Sometimes, the answer is straightforward: […]
Seeking Inspiration
Writers are often asked: “Where do you get your inspiration?” There are probably as many different answers as there are different authors, but my answer would be that my writing is frequently inspired by existing works. That was certainly the case with my first novel. It’s almost forty years since I first saw Franco Zeffirell’s […]
How To Take Your Writing To The Next Level
Finding your way in the publishing world as a writer isn’t always easy but She Writes University aims to bring authors the tools they need to successfully write, publish and promote their books. With webinars kicking off on April 5th, writers will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the publishing […]
Write Naked
There’s an acclaimed writer named Denis Johnson who had three rules for writing and for life, and his first rule was that writers should “Write Naked.” Though it’s fun to imagine yourself sitting at the desk au naturel for all the world to see, that wasn’t quite what Johnson had in mind. What he meant, […]
The Story of Infidelity: The Movie
When Infidelity: a Memoir was first published in 2000, it was greeted with a starred review from PW, a paperback auction, sales in the UK and Australia, and a movie sale. As time went on, it went out of print. Dzanc Books decided to reprint it and a trade paperback will be on the shelves […]
I Wish I Wasn’t Brave
I’m sitting having coffee with a friend when I receive a phone call to tell me that I’ve won an award at the Amazing Women Awards for No 1 Magazine in Scotland. I was shocked, as I had no idea at all about being nominated by my eldest daughter and was very touched to have […]
Setting as a Character
I loved writing The Paradise Cookery School – Sunshine & Secrets. Set on the tropical island of St Lucia, it meant I got to spend every day immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of the Caribbean – a veritable feast for the senses. The setting was so central to the story that it became […]
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