Tag: women writers
Writing ELLIE AND THE HARPMAKER
It must be possible, I thought. One dream had already come true. Not without a good deal of stress and struggle, and it had taken years longer than I’d imagined, but still: I was a harpist! I’d managed to get myself a harp and learn how to play it. It was lovely and rewarding and […]
How To Develop Your Marketing Plan
Marketing can be a dirty word for writers, or something to be afraid of. Self-promotion can feel uncomfortable and overwhelming. Alongside my writing, I’ve spent the last 11 years working in marketing, mostly in the arts. That experience has been useful in helping me to prepare for the publication of my debut novel, The Disappeared. […]
Why I Write, Maureen Joyce Connoly
If you ask an author why they write, you will get as many responses as the number you ask. The question implies choice, but for me, I’m no longer certain that I’m an active participant as to whether I write or not. My motivation, if you call it that, developed subconsciously and grew over time. […]
Finding Frances and the Serendipity of Characters
When she finished reading my novel A THREAD SO FINE, a friend asked me how I came to know so much about Frances Perkins, a real-life historical figure who enters the story in chapter ten. It wasn’t my friend’s first question – the novel has more to do with sisters and mothers and long-held, heart- […]
Research And Its Importance In Writing An Italian Affair
If you were to ask a totally sane individual why they would give up their day job as a moderately successful interior designer, to spend two years alone in their study getting down a story that would most likely never see the light of day ––the odds of gaining success are actually one in one […]
Using “real news” To Inform My Historical Mysteries
How fast can a horse travel anyway? Why was “blood-letting” used to treat epilepsy? What was the impact of the Prohibition on real people? When I started my PhD in history, I had no idea that I would one day use the skills I acquired as a researcher to answer questions like these while writing […]
How to Stop Holding Yourself Back as a Writer
To succeed as an author, it’s important to know, understand, and own your unique writing and creative strengths. When you do that, you can build on those strengths and have a better chance of reaching your goals. It’s not always easy, though, to acknowledge that hey, you’re pretty good at some things! If you struggle […]
Behind the memoir: A Q&A with Jane Pollak
For nearly six decades, author, artist and entrepreneur Jane Pollak faithfully followed a set of cultural commandments that she believed would guarantee life-long happiness and fulfillment: Remain a virgin until you meet “the one.” Check. Marry a nice Jewish boy. Check. Teach so you have something to fall back on. Check. Have children. Check. For decades, life had unfolded according to Pollak’s master plan, until she found herself in […]
Authors Interviewing Their Characters: Renee Rosen
Millions of single girls would become her disciples. She inspired the creation of Carrie Bradshaw, Hannah Horvath, and Peggy Olson. Her name was Helen Gurley Brown. Told through the eyes of Helen Gurley Brown’s fictional assistant, Renee Rosen’s PARK AVENUE SUMMER (Berkley Trade Paperback Original; April 30, 2019) takes readers through the tumultuous beginning of […]
Writing and Cornwall – Kitty Wilson
Cornwall, set at the very tip of the British Isles and almost completely surrounded by water, is packed full of golden beaches, rugged moorland, rich history and hidden coves making it one of the most picturesque parts of the country. This time of year, as winter turns to spring, the woodlands are covered in a […]
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