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
Writing
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
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
Living the Writing Life: Dare To Do Nothing
Photo by Jonas Leupe from Unsplash Seeking a Simpler Life As I've been embracing a simpler writer's life, one of the things I keep hitting against like a brick wall is the pressure I put on myself to create a miles-long to-do list. There are so many things I want to write and edit and … Continue reading Living the Writing Life: Dare To Do Nothing
What is the Spark of Creativity?
The History Quill's Convention for Writers of Historical Fiction On Saturday, February 5, 2022, I was invited to speak at The History Quill’s convention for writers of historical fiction. My topic was writing and publishing short historical fiction. I had a lot of fun speaking to the attendees and sharing my presentation. All Creatives Need … Continue reading What is the Spark of Creativity?
How To Avoid Clichés Like the Plague
Photo by Debby Hudson for Unsplash Writing is Rarely Easy For someone who loves to write as much as I do, I find writing quite hard. I love that saying from Thomas Mann: "A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." After all, who else but a writer … Continue reading How To Avoid Clichés Like the Plague