Category: On Writing
Diversity in Publishing
Just over two years ago, I went on a hunt around my house for our dusty old laptop. I rarely used computers or laptops outside of the office, hence it took me a couple of hours to dig out, and I eventually found it buried under heaps of odds and sods in the spare room. […]
Library Guilt
Like almost every other writer I know, I love to read. A good book recommendation from a good friend is better than chocolate (at least for me). And I can become quite annoying talking about said book to anyone willing to listen. I love holding books in my hands. I love sitting on the sofa […]
Uncovering Family Secrets
Survivor guilt is a force that endures, whether within the context of the tragic wars of yesterday and today, or the ongoing trauma experienced by families. As a second generation American, whose relatives immigrated from Eastern Europe before WWII, it would take decades to uncover the details of their intricate pasts─ the dark secrets they […]
The Power of Nancy Drew
Literature adds to reality; it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become. —C S Lewis Growing up in Sherwood Park, a sleepy enclave in Yonkers where nothing exciting ever happened, I was […]
What Does A Ghostwriter Do?
When I tell people I’m a ghost writer I’m usually met with a bewildered smile, followed by the inevitable question: ‘What exactly does a ghostwriter do?’ Well, for starters, I can’t tell you what every ghostwriter does as we all tend to work differently and many of us have specialisms. For example, a colleague of […]
Celebrating Grandmothers
For many people, when they think about women’s books, their minds immediately turn to books for and about younger women – a good romance, the joys and problems of young children, the difficulties of separation or divorce, even women and their developing careers. All definitely women’s reading. But a large percentage of women are well […]
Writing When You Aren’t Writing
Any writer, and I assume many non-writers as well, have heard the sage advice, “Write every day.” At many times in my life, I have both agreed with the advice, and then, ultimately, admonished myself for not following it. Surely I couldn’t call myself a writer because I didn’t follow that advice. At my best, […]
To Muse, or Not to Muse
What I’m about to say is blasphemy in much of the writing world. Maybe it’s my pragmatism, my science background, my lack of belief in guardian angels, karma and fate, but—here goes—I don’t believe in the muse. In fact, whenever other writers talk about their muse being on a vacation or sitting on their shoulder, […]
Deciding To Be A Writer
“Anyone who wants to say goodbye should come this morning,” said the voice. He was very clear that we should not leave it until the afternoon. The doctor had called about six in the morning to tell me that my mother was not going to recover from the pneumonia that had seen her stricken in […]
Settings in the Shade
He thinks of the beachfront as a veneer, shining and welcoming, yet just a few streets away, hidden behind the façade, this place is so very different. Beachside one would only find discarded candy floss wrappers, back in Doublestraat they are replaced with used needles and discarded cigarettes. Above is an excerpt from my novel, […]
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