Category: How To and Tips
On Writing Sweet Freedom Whispered in My Ear
“Sweet Freedom Whispered in My Ear” is a memoir that delves into the depths of my life, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit overcoming the severe trauma and abuse. Over the years, many have urged me to write this book, finding inspiration in my story and believing in its power to provide […]
Second Careers and my Supposed Retirement
SECOND CAREERS AND MY SUPPOSED RETIREMENT “Retirement” is not something I ever aspired to, even when I took a buyout after more than two decades as the theater critic of The Baltimore Sun. I’m not particularly good at semi-retirement, either. I am an expert on second careers, however. I’ve had at least five. The most important of […]
Karma Under Fire: Weaving Fate into Fiction By Love Hudson-Maggio
Karma Under Fire: Weaving Fate into Fiction By Love Hudson-Maggio Selecting the right title for a book is a critical endeavor for any author. It’s not just a label; it’s the essence of the story, representing its core theme. When I embarked on writing Karma Under Fire, finding that perfect title was no walk in […]
From PhD Research to Fiction: The Struggles and Opportunities of Compiling and Editing “The Unpicking” for Commercial Publication
From PhD Research to Fiction: The Struggles and Opportunities of Compiling and Editing “The Unpicking” for Commercial Publication Historical novel “The Unpicking” (October 2023, Fly on the Wall Press) is the creative writing element of a PhD thesis which explores the role of women between 1870 and 1920, particularly marginalised women whose lives are often […]
Writing Organically Can Be Messy
Writing Organically Can Be Messy I write organically. This sounds significantly less weird than the usual description of my writing process, which goes something like this: “I vomit out my first draft, which will be undeniably horrible, and then do most of the actual ‘writing’ in revision.” I guess that version is also organic in its own […]
Have Fun: Inspiration, Process, and Approach
Have Fun: Inspiration, Process, and Approach In 1653, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle —‘Mad Marge’— wrote that woman’s intelligence was equal to man’s, therefor women learned as easily.(1) She argued that the only difference was that men had more opportunities to educate themselves. In 2nd and 3rd grade, Cindy Myers, Denise Wallenstein and I played […]
Leisl Kaberry on Writing
I was never going to be a writer… It’s the truth, I’ll tell you that now. This was despite the fact that from as early as I can recall I have been a storyteller of sorts and one of my favourite pastimes as a child was simply swinging on the swing in the backyard and […]
Why I Decided to Write my Memoir and Share my Story
The seed for my memoir was planted in 2009 when I first read Primo Levi’s book “The Periodic Table.” I was living in Rome, researching the history of vandalism to art and public places on a fellowship. I had spent three decades working as a conservator of sculpture and buildings, and this was a year […]
Learning to Listen: The Journey to We Have Always Been Who We Are
Learning to Listen: The Journey to We Have Always Been Who We Are By Sofia T. Romero When I was in middle school, we had these current events assignments where we were supposed to choose a story from the newspaper and write about it. Most kids chose a serious news story. But one time, I […]
The Joy of Older Characters by Susan McCormick
The Joy of Older Characters by Susan McCormick Murder mystery protagonists come in all flavors, and my favorite is the elderly detective. While underrepresented, Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club, Elly Griffiths The Postscript Murders, television’s Only Murders in the Building, and my Fog Ladies cozy murder mystery series all feature loveable, complex older characters […]
Recent Comments