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
writing
What Exactly is the Writing Life?
What Does it Mean To Live a Writing Life? I’m not sure that being a writer or living a writer’s life are necessarily the same thing. We can be writers without pining for a writer’s life. And please note that while I’m talking about writing, you can fill in the blank with any artistic endeavor. … Continue reading What Exactly is the Writing Life?
The Challenges of Writing a Time-Travel Story
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash Where Did the Time Travel Inspiration Come From? I have a tendency to come up with story ideas a lot faster than I write them. I mean a lot faster. Fans of When It Rained at Hembry Castle know that I came up with the idea for that book … Continue reading The Challenges of Writing a Time-Travel Story
Writing Inspiration: From Plotter To Pantster
Her Dear & Loving Husband is an Award Winner! Before I get to my post today, I wanted to share some wonderful news. Her Dear & Loving Husband is now officially an award-winning novel. James and Sarah have won the Coffee Pot Book Club Book Award for highly recommended novels. Cool, right? Our Writing Process … Continue reading Writing Inspiration: From Plotter To Pantster
How To Start a Story
This is how I begin writing a historical story, or any kind of story, really. First, I notice when I have ideas that might become a story. The ability to recognize potential story ideas is a skill that most writers learn at one point or another. We all have random thoughts that float through our … Continue reading How To Start a Story
Ideas For Researching Historical Fiction
My Process For Research Has Changed How I research historical fiction has changed a lot over the years. When I first started researching historical fiction I would check as many books about my chosen era as I could carry from the library, take meticulous notes, color code my notes with highlighters (blue for information about … Continue reading Ideas For Researching Historical Fiction
Discovering New Creative Challenges When Writing Historical Fiction
Searching For New Writing Challenges Every time I write something new I set myself a challenge to do something I’ve never done before. As an artist, I like pushing myself past my comfort zone. I like experimenting and seeing what works (and what does not). Writing is like other forms of art in that once … Continue reading Discovering New Creative Challenges When Writing Historical Fiction
A Creativity Refresher Course: The Artist’s Way
My Creativity Needed a Boost Last week I started participating in Julia Cameron's 12-week course The Artist's Way. It might seem odd that I would start such a course at this stage of my writing life. I've been writing since I was a teenager, I've had short stories and articles published since 2000, and Her … Continue reading A Creativity Refresher Course: The Artist’s Way