Category: Being a Writer
Women Writers in Ivory Coast
Although the French language has been present in Ivory Coast as far back as the 1880s, the first real piece of French literature by an Ivorian writer was not published until 1936. For nearly forty years, the literary scene was dominated by male writers. The year 1975 marked the introduction of women’s writing in the country, […]
Challenging Typecasting as an Author
“You’ve co-written a YA novel about transitioning gender! But I thought you only wrote nice children’s picture books like ‘There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake’?” I’m seen as a mainstream, Australian children’s author, especially as I’m now a grandmother. I have been typecast as a children’s picture book writer, and my regular readers […]
Casting the Writer’s Spell
In my creative writing courses, I wave my magic pencil over my students and declare them to be writers—at least for the duration of the semester. After that, I say, it’s up to them to take over the spell. They generally giggle and roll their eyes (they’re college students after all), but I think it […]
Why Multi-Genre Writing Rocks!
During the week of June 14-17, I was fortunate enough to win a scholarship to attend the Wesleyan Writers’ Conference. It is a program that offers the opportunity for people to meet fellow writers and learn from some of the best in the field, and I was ecstatic. But a dear friend, who is privy […]
Having it all: Life as a Working Mother and Author
From the perspective of a single mother, it seems that we have to wear all the pants, hats, shoes, and everything in between to take care of our business, right? While this may sound simple enough, I assure you it is not! As a matter of fact, it is extremely difficult to keep the smiles […]
Childbirth: The Inspiration to Write
Even as a child, I wanted to be a writer. I wrote an endless amount of poems and stories about wolves and horses. I also read a lot, and if I liked a particular author, I would hunt down every book, every item they had ever written. But to me personally, the writing game is […]
You’re Never Too Old to Write a Book
“Big deal,” I hear you saying. Of course you’re never too old to write a book! These days, anyone can become an author. It is so easy; by using “Publishing on Demand” and publishing on the internet, anyone can get a book out there. So what am I talking about? I’m talking about the fact […]
Writing in Stolen Time: 10 Ways to Create Time (Literally)!
‘How on earth did you find time to write a novel? You’ve got kids!’ This is a question I have been asked frequently since publishing my debut novel, The Girl who Came Home. I sometimes wonder myself! But, having wondered, I’ve realised that when you have a passion to do something, there isn’t much which […]
Discipline of Writing. Writing as a Discipline.
First, there is the discipline of writing. Writers have long touted the value of the discipline of writing. While the strategies and goals to accomplish this task vary, the primary advice is relatively consistent – write everyday. Some say its best to write for a fixed length of time, while others insist on a daily […]
Breaking a Glass Ceiling
You’ve probably heard of THE glass ceiling. There is another glass ceiling that everyone encounters that has nothing to do with gender; it’s a glass ceiling of negative beliefs. I dreamed about my writing career since childhood and strived toward being a career novelist. I had “big ideas.” But even while writing and working toward this […]
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