Category: How To and Tips
On Transcreating By María Amparo Escandón
On Transcreating By María Amparo Escandón I grew into my teen years in Mexico City during the seventies devouring books by Latin American authors: Julio Cortazar, Mario Benedetti, Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez. But I also explored other regions. There was one writer that I couldn’t get enough of: the Czech novelist Milan […]
Writing Scary Stories: Monsters 101
By Christina Hamlett Like a lot of kids, I grew up thinking that monsters lived in my closet. I had no real reason for believing this, nor did I ever ponder why they could be kept so easily at bay by a Tinkerbelle nightlight, an open bedroom door and a cadre of vigilant stuffed animals. […]
There and Back Again
There and Back Again Sarah Beth Martin They say it’s better to have loved and lost. This usually applies to relationships, but it can also relate to experiences, goals, or other missed opportunities. Twenty years ago, I had a top tier literary agent and a book deal with a mid-sized publisher. I didn’t realize how […]
Jettisoning History in a Historical Novel By Martha Anne Toll
Jettisoning History in a Historical Novel My debut novel, Three Muses, came out in September as a “historical novel.” The publisher describes it as follows: In post-WWII New York, John Curtin suffers lasting damage from having been forced to sing for the concentration camp kommandant who murdered his family. John trains to be a psychiatrist, […]
I Wrote Through Pain to tell a Story that would Empower my Children
“I wrote through pain to tell a story that would empower my children” I had a secret—a dark truth tucked deep in my brain that I held on to for years. Twenty, in fact. The secret was this: I was sexually assaulted as a young woman, and subsequently diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar. These are […]
Revealing the Secrets to Writing a Book
I stood in front of my classroom looking out at all the faces staring back at me, hungry for all the secrets on how to write a book, when the idea for How to Write a Novel in 20 Pies: Sweet & Savory Secrets for Surviving the Writing Life came to me. I get giddy […]
Finding your People
Finding Your People (when you might rather be hanging out with your characters) I am, fundamentally, an introvert. Many of the writers I know are. Alone at my desk, fingers on my laptop keys, I am happily absorbed, creating my characters and their world. However, there is another side to the writing life that I […]
Choose Your Path Books Pave The Way For Real-Life lessons
Choose Your Path books pave the way for real-life lessons By Deb Mercier Sometimes life seems out of our control. No checkout people at the till? Your next hour will be spent shuffle-walking through the mile-long line. Need to get out the door early? Too bad. Both dogs threw up and stomped through it, leaving […]
Memoir: Quenching The Thirst By Isidra Mencos
My introduction to writing memoir was random. I had read some memoirs and I liked them, but I’d always focused on writing fiction or academic essays. “Always” is an exaggeration. My commitment to writing was flimsy. I’d write in spurts, get a project done, and then spend years without scribbling even a note in a […]
The Inspiration behind One Last Gift
The Inspiration behind One Last Gift Like my debut novel, Always, in December, ONE LAST GIFT is a story that starts and ends at Christmas, though it spans the whole year. It’s also a story about grief, and about finding yourself in the wake of that grief. I sometimes get asked why I choose to […]
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