Category: How To and Tips
Why I Write, Maureen Joyce Connoly
If you ask an author why they write, you will get as many responses as the number you ask. The question implies choice, but for me, I’m no longer certain that I’m an active participant as to whether I write or not. My motivation, if you call it that, developed subconsciously and grew over time. […]
Finding Frances and the Serendipity of Characters
When she finished reading my novel A THREAD SO FINE, a friend asked me how I came to know so much about Frances Perkins, a real-life historical figure who enters the story in chapter ten. It wasn’t my friend’s first question – the novel has more to do with sisters and mothers and long-held, heart- […]
Research And Its Importance In Writing An Italian Affair
If you were to ask a totally sane individual why they would give up their day job as a moderately successful interior designer, to spend two years alone in their study getting down a story that would most likely never see the light of day ––the odds of gaining success are actually one in one […]
An event at Midlife: Crisis, Challenge, Breakthrough, or Opportunity?
When I was 26 years old, my 54-year-old mom received her doctorate. She had divorced my dad a few years prior, moved from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco, and enrolled in a Ph.D. program that seemed crazy to some of her friends: women who, like her, had married in the 50’s, living life as they […]
How to Stop Holding Yourself Back as a Writer
To succeed as an author, it’s important to know, understand, and own your unique writing and creative strengths. When you do that, you can build on those strengths and have a better chance of reaching your goals. It’s not always easy, though, to acknowledge that hey, you’re pretty good at some things! If you struggle […]
Writing and Cornwall – Kitty Wilson
Cornwall, set at the very tip of the British Isles and almost completely surrounded by water, is packed full of golden beaches, rugged moorland, rich history and hidden coves making it one of the most picturesque parts of the country. This time of year, as winter turns to spring, the woodlands are covered in a […]
Is Focusing on Women Counter-Productive?
The gender playing field tilted even more steeply in the past. And yet, when it came to travel and exploration, women overcame the same hazardous terrain as men with equal courage, determination and skill. My only regret when researching for Passionate Travellers: Around the World on 21 Incredible Journeys in History, was that I could […]
How I Turned My Blog Into A Book: Lara Lillibridge
I won’t lie, I started my Only Mama blog with the hopes of turning it into a book someday. I read mommy bloggers religiously. I was dying to add to the conversation about mothering—not just on the internet, but in paper as well. I blogged heavily for the first year, but when I went back […]
Tips For Writing Non-Fiction
I’ve just written my fourth non-fiction book, a mother-daughter memoir Never Sit If You Can Dance: Lessons from My Mother, which will launch for Mother’s Day 2019. I thought it might be fun to share some of the tricks and truths I’ve learned from writing non-fiction. First, I never ever go anywhere without having […]
Kill Your Darlings For Beginners
“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft I read this quote years ago and it stuck with me, mostly because it seemed odd. It seemed wrong. Until I started editing my first book and […]
Recent Comments