Sometimes You Need A Break From Writing A few weeks ago I wrote about how I had been struggling as I was writing my new historical novel. Nothing in the story seemed to be working, and for whatever reason I was at a loss as to how to fix it. I decided to give myself … Continue reading Trying New Writing Tools: Scrivener, I Love You
Writing the Love that Dare Not Speak Its Name in Historical Fiction
Here's author Laurel Deedrick-Mayne talking about her new novel, A Wake For The Dreamland, and her experiences writing historical fiction about a gay character during World War II. * * * * * How do we write the love that ‘dare not speak its name’ within the genre of historical fiction? I confess that even writing … Continue reading Writing the Love that Dare Not Speak Its Name in Historical Fiction
God Bless Us, Every One
Just a quick note to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a very, very happy 2015. I've noticed a lot of new followers to this blog recently, and for some reason the Loving Husband Trilogy has been selling well even though I am currently doing exactly zero things to promote it. Thank you to the Loving … Continue reading God Bless Us, Every One
Tips for Writing the Second Book in a Series
Seeking New Information About Writing Whenever I have a new writing task ahead of me, when I'm writing something new to me, the first thing I do is seek information from writers who have traveled that road before. There’s a benefit to searching out tips and hints from others who have already been there, done … Continue reading Tips for Writing the Second Book in a Series
A Trail of Breadcrumbs: How To Use Foreshadowing In Your Fiction
Surviving My First Term As A Doctoral Student I'm very nearly finished with my first semester as a doc student. While I seem to have survived relatively unscathed, I wonder if I'll have as much luck next term when I'll be taking a research statistics class. Let me put this in proper perspective--I haven't taken … Continue reading A Trail of Breadcrumbs: How To Use Foreshadowing In Your Fiction
An Interview with C. W. Gortner
Here's my interview with C.W. Gortner. If you love historical fiction, particularly Tudor fiction, then Gortner is your guy. C.W. Gortner holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California, as well as an AA from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in San Francisco. In 2012, he … Continue reading An Interview with C. W. Gortner
Thank you, Robin Williams: A Lesson in Gratitude
I’m writing and posting this quickly before I change my mind, so, as Anne Lamott said in her own post on the same subject, this isn’t going to be proofread to perfection. I don’t usually comment on the passing of famous people since I’m not sure what I can add that someone more articulate than I … Continue reading Thank you, Robin Williams: A Lesson in Gratitude
An Interview With Barbara Taylor Bradford
I've been lucky enough to interview such literary legends as John Jakes and Jean M. Auel. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview another legend, Barbara Taylor Bradford. Barbara Taylor Bradford has written the notable New York Times Best Sellers A Woman of Substance, The Ravenscar Dynasty, and The Women in His Life, among many others. … Continue reading An Interview With Barbara Taylor Bradford