Tag: featured
Who Is The Inspiration?
Nervous, scared, anxiously looking around the room, feeling like every word you say is being judged. This are recognisable feelings in everyone, and that is before you start to share your writing. But I’m not talking about the new writing students here, those who are determined to fill a lifelong ambition and who embark on […]
The Purpose of Writing a Book About a Woman Without a Purpose Or: How to Turn a Problem to Advantage
In November three years ago I sat down to attempt the NaNoWriMo challenge of writing 50,000 words of a novel in a month. I had heard of the National Novel Writing Month before but dismissed it as a gimmick. In the event, it turned out to be a surprisingly positive experience, especially for a writer […]
Once Upon a Book Tour
When I was a baby writer (41 when my first book came out), the idea of a book tour was not something I ever thought I’d experience. No, I was just happy to sit in my jammies in the little cell…er, room…my husband banged out in the basement and try to write another book. But […]
On Being A Bookseller
When I was a little girl, I could not learn to read. My first-grade class was part of an experimental group that was learning to read by colors (I still remember that magenta was the “schwa” sound.) Apparently, I was not the only one for whom this was a complete failure. I have never met […]
Hands-On Research: How a Story of Hidden Loss Became The Trumpet Lesson
It started with Pamela Fischer, a candid and confident young black woman who came to me one morning during a free write. From the moment Pamela appeared, I knew she would be the perfect foil to my protagonist, shy and quiet Callie Quinn, who hides the loss of the bi-racial baby she gave up for […]
Writing The Art Of Happy Moving
How to Make Moving a Happier Experience – Yes, For Real I never aspired to be a moving expert because, seriously, who would want to do that? Yet, my husband, Dan, and I moved ten times in eleven years. As much as I would like to pretend that we’re free spirits who go where the […]
Brooke Warner’s Write On Sisters! Excerpt
Brooke Warner, founder of Indie Publisher of the Year 2019 She Writes Press, shines a light on the ever-present obstacles women writers face in her new book Write On Sisters!: Voice, Courage, and Claiming Your Place at the Table (August 27, She Writes Press). Brooke draws upon research, anecdotes and her personal experiences in the book publishing industry […]
An Ode To Walking
One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to get to grips with since becoming a full-time author is how to fit physical activity into my life. When writing was a stolen pleasure – an hour or two in an evening – it was never a problem. But once I was given the opportunity I’d always […]
Channelling Marilynne: Translation as Possession, Envy and Belonging
By Gwen Davies, translator of The Jeweller by Caryl Lewis ‘I get it!’ my author announced. ‘You may not be on my side but you definitely want the best for my work.’ She’d just been at the brutal end of my red pen as we came towards the end of several proofs with me as […]
‘Attention’ Seeking: Where Does Inspiration Come From?
Authors are often asked a number of challenging questions. From “have you written anything I might be familiar with,” to “what is your book about” (um…how long have got?) and apart from honing our ‘elevator pitch’ skills, we must sometimes delve into the realms of the esoteric when asked, “where does your inspiration come from?” […]
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