Art Journaling is Another Way To Express Creativity Last week I shared some ideas for journaling for writers. I've had a lot of great feedback from that post, so this week I'd like to share a little bit about art journaling, another kind of journaling that helps to get my creative juices flowing A page … Continue reading More Simple Joys of Journaling: Art Journaling For Writers
Writing Inspiration
The Simple Joys of Journaling: Journaling For Writers
Journaling Is a Good Habit For Creatives Many writers keep a journal in one form or another. If you're like me, you probably have several journals going at once. I don't write in each of my journals every day; I write in them as needed. I have a personal journal where I jot down observations … Continue reading The Simple Joys of Journaling: Journaling For Writers
Watching the Salem Witch Trials
Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony To get myself back into the flow of life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony while I’m writing And Shadows Will Fall, I just rewatched The Crucible, which is a story I love. Whenever I teach American literature, one of my favorite lessons is always when we read and watch Miller’s work. … Continue reading Watching the Salem Witch Trials
Character Inspiration: Discovering Sarah Alexander and Elizabeth Wentworth
Where Do Character Ideas Come From? Fans of the Loving Husband Series are familiar with Elizabeth Jones, the greatest love of James Wentworth’s life. She is the woman he sees across the dining room table in Salem Village in 1691, and her beauty and warmth capture his heart forever. But where did the idea for … Continue reading Character Inspiration: Discovering Sarah Alexander and Elizabeth Wentworth
Character Inspiration For the Loving Husband Trilogy: Mr. Wentworth the Younger
Down Salem Way is Shortlisted For the Chaucer Prize For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook, you may not know that Down Salem Way has been shortlisted for the Chaucer Prize in Early Historical Fiction Pre-1750. I'm very excited. I know it's a cliche to say that it's an honor just to … Continue reading Character Inspiration For the Loving Husband Trilogy: Mr. Wentworth the Younger
Modern-Day Salem Witches
Sometimes Characters Are Easy To Discover Sometimes when I’m writing a story I have to stretch a bit for a character as I try to figure out exactly who this person is. Writers are like actors in the sense that we have to understand the evolution of the characters we’re writing about. Sometimes I have … Continue reading Modern-Day Salem Witches
Writing Historical Fiction About the Salem Witch Trials
Learning To Leave the Past Behind As I'm weaving my way through the sixth part of the Loving Husband Series, I realized that the Salem Witch Trials are never far behind for the Wentworths. The infamous witch hunts of 1692 once again play a role in James and Sarah's story. Both James and Sarah have … Continue reading Writing Historical Fiction About the Salem Witch Trials
Finding My Writing Flow
Mike Tinnion from Unsplash It's Easy to Be Distracted From Writing With all of the stresses in the world these days, there are times when I have to reach a bit to find my creativity. Some days, especially when writing is a struggle, I worry that I have used up every ounce of creativity I … Continue reading Finding My Writing Flow
One Tip For Writing Fiction: Scene Sequels
Photo by Glenn Carstens from Unsplash What is a Scene Sequel? I shared the concept of scene sequels in my book Painting the Past: A Guide for Writing Historical Fiction. Another novelist introduced me to scene sequels about 10 years ago and I’ve been using them ever since. Yes, there are scene sequels in The … Continue reading One Tip For Writing Fiction: Scene Sequels
Room For Freedom When Writing Fiction
Photo by Patrick Tomasso from Unsplash I Was a Guest Speaker for the Lit Mag Love Course! For my first bit of news, on Tuesday, 3/1, I had the chance to participate in a Q&A for Rachel Thompson's course Lit Mag Love, which helps writers who want to submit their work to literary journals. I … Continue reading Room For Freedom When Writing Fiction