Category: Contemporary Women Writers
What’s Wrong Now?
I like to worry. It’s one of my hobbies. I might as well list it on my CV, because it’s something I spend a lot of time doing. (Actually, this is horrible advice. Don’t add things to your resume just because you wind up doing them a lot. No one wants to see ‘sleeping’ in […]
Elevating the Role of Food in Fiction
Stop for a moment and consider how much brain space and activity we allot to the subject of food each day: planning menus, shopping for groceries, preparing meals, dining at restaurants, dieting. In some cases, perhaps wondering where our next meal might come from, or about the safety of a child with a severe peanut […]
Facing My Own Character: When a Fiction Writer Turns to Memoir
A week after my family and I fled Bali and flew back to the states, I met my literary agent for lunch at Todd English’s Olives restaurant. Over fig and prosciutto flatbread, we talked about my future. I asked him if he thought I should continue writing my new novel about a character who can’t […]
Taming The Novella
I write long-form fiction, around 100,000 words, and I’ve published six of these full-length novels in the form of two trilogies. In my hand, the books are chunky and pleasingly real. I’m in my stride, in the zone where I can be as complex as I like. Each of my characters goes on a journey […]
How to Create Accurate Historical Heroines in Fiction
One of the best attributes of the romance community is the agency and power it represents for women. You’ll find it in the industry itself—dominated by women both as producers and consumers. You’ll find it in the stories—eloquently illustrated in the depiction of strong and independent fictional heroines. And you’ll find it in the daily […]
Blogging A Path to Enlightenment
My debut novel is set to release on February 1st, 2018. I’ve worked hard to get here. Now, all I have to do is find a way to spread the word. Easy, right? Well… According to Steven Piersanti, President, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, “… the number of new books published each year in the U.S. has exploded […]
How My Anxiety Inspired My Books
I awoke in the middle of a fish bowl. Well, it wasn’t really a fish bowl, but it checked all the same boxes: I was on display, people were staring, I felt alone, afloat. In reality, I was lying on the cold, polished floor of Toronto’s busiest department store. Along with the designer fragrances, expensive […]
What Reading Teaches Me About Writing
The “writing process” is a varied journey for every writer. Some outline meticulously, journal, or even ask the Five W’s (and one H) before they start. I am a minimal outliner, journaling has never really been something I stuck to with any consistency and the five W’s was something I did only when working for […]
The Memoir Craze: Thinking of Jumping in?
Memoirs are the current rage. If you have noticed, maybe you are wondering if you should jump in and write one yourself. You aren’t alone. At this writing, over 150,000 titles on Amazon are memoir. Mind boggling. Maybe it’s because more people are now interested in reading memoir, prompting writers to cash in. Or maybe […]
The Power of Words in Facing a Life Crisis
I started my career as a medical social worker/patient advocate 40 years ago. I worked with people facing catastrophic illness like strokes, burns, head injuries, and cancer to name a few. I also covered the emergency room where lives were forever changed in a moment. That was my identity. The only writing I did was […]
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