My Definition of Slow Writing I had an interesting time putting this post together. Normally, when I write a post like this I do a little research to help me find others who share a similar opinion. But when I looked for slow writing on several search engines, I didn’t find much. I found some … Continue reading What Is Slow Writing and Why Is It Good For You?
creative writing inspiration
One Tip To Keep Writing (Even When It’s Hard)
Writing Can Be Hard No matter how much I love to write, sometimes it's just hard. I don't mean having writer's block, although sometimes that's an issue too. It can be a challenge to find the motivation, or it can be a challenge to find the time. I've been a professional writer for more than … Continue reading One Tip To Keep Writing (Even When It’s Hard)
What Is Authentic Writing?
Remembering Why We Became Writers As I'm working on my second nonfiction book about writing, one of the themes I keep returning to is authentic writing. As a writer, editor, and publisher, I feel as if authentic writing has been pushed aside in favor of writing as quickly as possible, publishing as quickly as possible, … Continue reading What Is Authentic 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
Baking Time: Giving Your Story the Time it Needs
Update on The Duchess of Idaho The first draft for The Duchess of Idaho is finally done. It took me ten weeks to finish, which, for me, is crazy fast. I mean, lightning speed. I wrote in this post about how sometimes it takes me months to write my outline, months to write my first … Continue reading Baking Time: Giving Your Story the Time it Needs
Writer’s Block, Burnout, and Giving Up: My Personal Story
Rediscovering My Connection To Writing A few days ago I was reading the wonderful website Writers in the Storm and I came across this post about the writing resolution that changed the writer’s attitude and ultimately changed her writing career. I nodded a lot as I read the piece because, although the specifics of my … Continue reading Writer’s Block, Burnout, and Giving Up: My Personal Story