Category: How To and Tips
Prologues & Epilogues, Oh My!
by Abigail Owen I have heard over the years from various readers that they skip prologues or epilogues. Skip them? How? Why? Maybe that reader had a bad experience? Or just thinks that a prologue or epilogue is information they don’t need? Do prologues and/or epilogues fit with or enhance every single story? Or course […]
Something New From Something Old – On Creating a Linked Story Collection
I grew up in a family of dedicated New Yorker readers, and my taste was formed early on by the stories of J.D. Salinger, Ann Beattie, and Raymond Carver. Decades of reading would pass before I started writing myself, but when I did, back in 2009, my hope was to publish a collection. A goal that seemed […]
Mixing Ideas and Ingredients: How Book Writing Is Like Baking a Cake
Just as a baker relies on a recipe, writers need an outline to guide their narrative. Both endeavors require a solid foundation, a perfect blend of elements, patience during the process, and the courage to present the final product to the world. When adding forty eggs to a cheesecake batter, one at a time, while […]
On and Off the Tweet by Jane Seskin
I’m a senior woman, a psychotherapist and author who still writes letters and sends Thank You notes. My cell phone and I have a custody agreement: 50% of the time I take it with me. For the other 50% it stays at home in its charger. When it goes somewhere with me, I tend to […]
Where Are You? by Carole Duff
Housebound on a rainy day, my sisters and I play hide and seek. While one sister covers her eyes and loudly counts to ten, I tip-toe into our parents’ bedroom and open the closet door. The left side of the narrow closet has a double row of dowels, the nearest for in-season clothing, stored coats […]
My Journey to Writing The MindShift Effect: Reflections and Tips for Aspiring Authors
By Mindy Vail Each of us is shaped by our unique collection of life experiences, both victories and setbacks, and I’ve had my fair share of both. The inspiration for this book came when I found myself at a crossroads after being laid off from a position I loved, surrounded by people I respected and […]
Pursuing a Rogue Route to Publishing
By Sandra L. Young In life, I tend to adhere to the expectations of polite modern society. But in my publishing journey, I’ve ended up pursuing a more adventurous, rogue route. For my three-book Divine Vintage series, I dared to defy genre, wrapping romances around historical mysteries and a ghostly sizzle. You may know that […]
Looking to the Past for Inspiration
By H L Marsay This August sees the release of The Mystery of the Missing Frenchman, the third book in my Lady in Blue series. The series was inspired by the brave suffragettes who began volunteer patrols to support the police when the First World War broke out. However, I stumbled across these amazing women […]
Ancestry, Archives, and Acadian Folklore: The Inspiration Behind A SEA OF SPECTRES
Nancy Taber What to do with an article about an 18th century ancestor during the Acadian Expulsion, an almanac excerpt about a 19th century bank cleaner (possibly) turned thief, and research about 20th and 21st century military women? Blend it all into a historical novel with three protagonists and three timelines. Throw in a phantom […]
How Women Experience Illness: One Mystery at a Time
By Kate Michaelson It’s a good bet you know at least one woman with a complex, ongoing health issue—whether it’s an autoimmune disease, endometriosis, or something not yet diagnosed. Maybe you deal with an issue like this yourself. I’m one of those women too. In fact, my own quest for a diagnosis is part of […]
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