The Professor of Eventide is featured today in the BookBub New Release newsletter! Yay! Way to go, Jonathan! If you’re here from BookBub, welcome! I’m so glad you found your way over. If this is your first time visiting my site, today's post feels like a great place to begin because I wanted to share … Continue reading The Story Behind The Professor of Eventide
Writing Inspiration
Why Dark Academia Continues To Haunt Us: The Allure of Gothic Literary Fiction
After hearing the term Dark Academia time and time again, I began watching videos on YouTube and looking up pins on Pinterest to see what the fuss was all about, and I liked what I saw. It turns out that the term Dark Academia became a thing in the mid-2010s, spreading through Tumblr mood boards … Continue reading Why Dark Academia Continues To Haunt Us: The Allure of Gothic Literary Fiction
How I Protect My Creative Energy on Days That Aren’t Writing Days
I'm not a fan of that old writer's adage that insists that we should write every day. Maybe that works for some writers, but it doesn't work for me. When I'm working on a project, I tend to treat it like a job. I write Mondays - Fridays and take the weekends off. Not every … Continue reading How I Protect My Creative Energy on Days That Aren’t Writing Days
The Slow Burn: Why Some Stories Need To Take Their Time
I’ve been hearing the term slow burn a lot lately when it comes to books. I knew what slow burns meant in terms of romance, but I hadn’t considered the concept of slow burn when it comes to other genres. A slow burn story is a narrative technique that focuses on gradual tension, deep character … Continue reading The Slow Burn: Why Some Stories Need To Take Their Time
What Is Upmarket Fiction?
For a long time, I didn’t know what to call what I write, which is fine in one respect because I’ve never been particularly tied down in what I write. One of my favorite authors is Kazuo Ishiguro, and one of the things I love about him is that he isn’t tied down to any … Continue reading What Is Upmarket Fiction?
The Challenges of Editing a Novel After the Drafting Stage
I’ve been pretty lucky with readers’ responses to my writing style. I’ve had so many questions about how I write the way I do, and what I try to explain to other writers is that I don’t write like that–I edit like that. When I’m writing a draft, I’m simply trying to get the words, … Continue reading The Challenges of Editing a Novel After the Drafting Stage
The Art of Ending Well: How to Write Satisfying Conclusions
Last week, I wrote about what finishing a book teaches you as a writer. This week, I wanted to take a look at what a good ending in fiction looks like. One of the first things I know about any story I’m writing is how it ends. For my current #WIP, I saw the final … Continue reading The Art of Ending Well: How to Write Satisfying Conclusions
What Finishing a Book Teaches You as a Writer
Well, friends, as I've said, The Professor of Eventide is done and ready for its close-up. The funny thing is, I’m almost sorry it’s done. It has been quite a challenge bringing this story to life. On the one hand, I’m looking forward to getting back to all the things I love that I’ve been … Continue reading What Finishing a Book Teaches You as a Writer
The Truth About Historical Fiction Research: Mistakes Are Inevitable
When I wrote my first non-fiction book, Painting the Past: A Guide for Writing Historical Fiction, I was drawing on more than two decades of experience reading, writing, and publishing historical fiction. I enjoyed writing that book because I love sharing the lessons I’ve learned about writing. Painting the Past was published in 2021, five … Continue reading The Truth About Historical Fiction Research: Mistakes Are Inevitable
The Art of Reading Like a Writer: What Books Have Taught Me About Craft
I’ve always believed that we can only ingest so many words from other people until we’re compelled to spill some back out. Long before we understand plot arcs, character construction, or theme, most of us fall first in love with reading. For me, reading in childhood began as an escape from a frantic, stressful family … Continue reading The Art of Reading Like a Writer: What Books Have Taught Me About Craft