Category: How To and Tips
Bringing History To Life
The task of the historical fiction author is to transport the reader swiftly and believably into the period in which the novel is set. This means accurate description of costume, manners, and food and drink. When it comes to voice and actions, too, the characters must behave themselves, keeping to the language, habits, and beliefs […]
Letting Go of Kids, and Characters
Mothers and fathers of young children can think they’re dealing with the greatest parenting challenges they’ll ever face. I remember feeling that way. For close to a decade I wandered through my days in a fog because I’d been up at night nursing or tending a sick child. But even the exhaustion and numbness that […]
It’s All in The Moments: Capturing Inspiration
It’s been said that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. The grand gesture, the big finish, the lightning bolt epiphany, the gut searing regret—it’s these moments that define us, change us, reveal our character, good and bad. All tell our story. […]
Body Image as Theme
My great-aunt Helena was fat. Or so my mother said. She also graduated from medical school in 1925, was the first woman to earn tenure in the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Medicine, and was the first to hold a senior professorship in neuropathology. She wrote books and articles on her specialty, mentored her […]
The Power of Journaling
Why should you take time from your busy day to journal? Because stories rise up out of journaling, and even if they don’t, your story matters. No one can tell your story but you. Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62 started my journaling about the new relationship I found, on Craigslist of […]
Are Children’s Books Real Books?
I’m being facetious obviously. Because, hell yeah. But I’ve seen the way people react or don’t react when you mention that your book in progress or recently published book is a…children’s picture book. Most recently, someone contacted me to find out if I’d written any new books. Before I could twist my mouth to mention […]
A Prose By Any Other Name
(Or, one girl’s guide to genre-busting and following your intuition) When I am asked what my book is about and I explain that it’s the interwoven stories of a genetic scientist and a prehistoric shaman there can be some interesting reactions. Often the initial response is a surprised ‘oh?’ (Even from people who may be […]
Writing Is My Lifestyle
I love questions. They direct your thoughts and help to create momentum along a particular path. I was asked, “What is your writing process?” and I thought, “I don’t have one.” However, that is – I know – a way of avoiding self-examination and answer formation. I also know that answering will gift me with […]
Share Your Opinions: Why Book Reviews Matter and How You Can Help
“Together we can change the world, one good deed at a time.” ~~Anonymous Whether you’re an author or not, one of the kindest gifts you can give to any writer is a constructive honest review. It doesn’t have to be long or literary or quote specific passages unless you’re writing for a site that expects […]
Decluttering, Literally and Literarily
I’m decluttering. Husband and I are in the throes of getting our house ready to sell, and we are sorting through 35 years of accumulated stuff. A lot of the stuff is things we want to keep—books, always books. Last year, we donated nearly 100 books to a local charity, so what’s left, about four […]
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