Tag: women writers
Writing to Release Pain
I more or less raised myself. My father was a raging alcoholic and my mother was fighting her own demons. Thank goodness I found some solace in writing. I started journaling at an early age. I found my violent home life confusing and often escaped into books. Then I began writing, first in my diary […]
What’s the Recipe?
Everything I’ve read about successfully writing in today’s market strongly suggests having a detailed picture of the person you’re writing for. They say it’s imperative to laser-target your audience so you can pick the right genre for your book. I’ve tried to be a good scout and do what I’m told. I’ve sketched out my imaginary reader several […]
This Is How You Get Over Your Fear Of Writing
Everyone fears the blank page. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or drunk. Julia Cameron created her morning pages in The Artist’s Way to help scared artists dump their creative urges onto the page before the voice of fear takes hold. Steven Pressfield has written entire books about the resistence that holds us back […]
The Book Belongs to the Reader, Not the Writer
When asked about how I feel about ‘my’ book, I explain that a book belongs to the imagination of the reader. Readers relate to the character and sometimes they are unaware of the author or illustrator. I’m ok with that. The author’s job is to craft the concept as well as possible. Then the reader […]
How Bruce Springsteen, Adele and Magic Help Me To Write…
Every time I sit down to write I am mystified as to where ideas come from. In 2016 I was lucky enough to get an agent and a two-book deal with Corvus Atlantic Books and around that time I started to think about what that ‘magic ingredient’ is in a novel that makes it hang […]
Me and My Agent: Christina McDonald and Carly Watters
A few days ago I did an interview and one of the questions was did I think having an agent was crucial in this business. The answer for me was a huge, resounding yes. My agent is Carly Watters at P.S. Literary Agency, and I literally wouldn’t be where I am now without her patient […]
Love at First Line By Megan Collins
First sentences are a lot like first dates. If I’m intrigued by an opening line, if I feel a spark upon reading it (or, in the case of my own stories, writing it), I’m likely to keep investing my time. We all know that covers can be deceiving. They’re akin to a picture on a […]
Why All Writers Are Worldbuilders
Sometime last year I remember reading an article about worldbuilding which suggested it was overrated and unnecessary. I had the perhaps predictable kneejerk reaction about it. After all, I take a considerable amount of joy when it comes to the worldbuilding process. I really love worldbuilding. A lot. Then I really thought about it. This […]
Braver Than the Average “Girl”
Decades before there was a month dedicated to women’s history and long before the words “Nevertheless, she persisted” become a cultural touchpoint and rallying cry, there were groups of American women that that were daring to make history in extraordinary ways. Some of these women still have yet to receive recognition they deserve. One such […]
Rice-A-Roni and French Fries: Fear and the Juxtaposition of Art and Life
‘Life imitates art,’ or so the old cliché goes. I wonder, though, if it isn’t the other way around. After all, another cliché tells us to ‘write what you know.’ So, does art imitate life? This question ran in a continuous loop in my mind as I wrote Flygirl, the story about Tris Miles, a […]
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