Tag: featured
Writing Biography: How Obstacles Made Me A Better Writer
Invariably, the first question I get asked at book signings is how did I learn about Louise Arner Boyd and why did I write about her? While it’s difficult to identify that exact moment when the spark was lit and I committed to writing her life story, it all began in the remote wilderness of […]
On Deadlines
A little over a month ago, at the end of October, I agreed to write this piece about deadlines. At that time, my editor was expecting me to deliver a draft of my new novel by Christmas. As I type, there are two and a half hours left until the end-of-November deadline for this article […]
How Life Gets In The Way Of Writing
THINGS happen in threes. Seriously. Scientific fact. One based on years of meticulous research and general observation by me. And my mother. And her mother before her. And, er, all my friends. Births, for example. You never hear of a single birth. Start any conversation about babies, and before the topic has been exhausted, you’ll […]
Living With Your Characters
I was lucky enough to meet the legendary Iris Murdoch, years ago. I was one away from her at a dinner table and when the man between us left for a moment, and being in the early stages of a first novel, I leaned over to ask if she could possibly give me any tiny […]
Oversharing….Or Being Authentic
My mother had a wise old saying… “Keep your own counsel.” Some decades ago, personal information was kept private. We didn’t discuss politics, religion or how much money we made. That was distasteful. Today, encouraged by social media, we are more open and willing to share. For women who suffer from abuse, this can be […]
Neglected Lady Novelists And Me
It was the 1980s and I was a student in London when I began to discover women writers who, despite belonging to my grandmothers’ – or even my great-grandmothers’ – generation, had voices so compelling and authentic I couldn’t stop reading them. They included Rosamond Lehmann, Elizabeth Taylor, Elizabeth Bowen, Barbara Comyns, Rebecca West, Stevie […]
Dear Mr Bezos…
Dear Mr. Bezos: Your net worth just passed $95 billion. A mind-numbing number. Do you ever pause at a price tag? Worry over paying the bi-annual property tax? Waver between buying gas for your car (or paying the electrical bill for the Tesla) and taking mass transit? Or, as most authors do, use the blank […]
Transformations: From Brain Injury Survivor to Writer
It didn’t even occur to me write about it. It wasn’t as if it was an important part of the story. In fact, it was practically irrelevant. Yes, I had thought of suicide, but I didn’t have it in me, as I’d told the neuropsychologist who was evaluating me after my brain surgeries. I have […]
Book Babies or Book Lovers?
I know a lot of women writers who also happen to be mothers. It’s not unusual for them to refer to their books as their “babies.” After all, they conceived the idea, became a bit faint and nauseous during the writing process, faced insecurities and fears about their abilities to actually follow through and do […]
Where Do I Find Books To Read?
Discovering new books to read is becoming increasingly difficult in the current book market—at least for me—and I don’t think I’m the only one who’s feeling that way. Lately, I’ve seen posts on social media from frustrated readers begging for book recommendations. They claim they can’t find anything that’s holding their attention and that everything […]
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