I don’t know any creative person who isn’t curious about other people’s creative process. I always love to visit other writers’ workspaces, artists’ studios, crafters’ workrooms. I love to hear about their schedules, how they discipline their attention and divide their time to allow them to be most productive. I’m always interested in their little… Read more »
Inspiration
On the Importance of Author Mentoring
I often tell folks that one of the reasons I love working in the world of publishing — in any aspect; as author, publisher, event coordinator, instructor — is that by and large, the other people in this industry are truly great. Yes, there are a few overblown egos and perhaps an author or two… Read more »
Characterization – Oh, the things it makes me think about…
For quite some time now, I’ve been putting off working on a novel – Lonely Cottage Road – that I really, really want to be writing. There always seems to be something more immediately pressing, most pointedly making a living. But these days, snippets of dialogue between my characters comes to me unbidden, and I… Read more »
The Secret’s in the Sauce: Voice matters.
I will likely never read Anthony Bourdain’s foodie or travel books. But he’s got a novel out and a nonfiction docu-drama about Typhoid Mary. I may just have to pick those up, because ego or not (and let’s face it — what author doesn’t have one?), this guy is a refreshing, entertaining and accomplished writer whose voice another writer could learn a lot from.
Yeah, What Janet Said: 10 Really Good Rules
Just had to share this post from Janet Fitch’s “Jacket Copy” author blog for the Los Angeles Times. Janet wrote “White Oleander” and other bestsellers, and teaches writing at USC, so she knows of which she speaks. Here, she gives her version of Ten Rules That Can Help Any Writer. I know I learned something,… Read more »
How Do You Develop Your Plot?
Have you ever created a “mind map” or other graphical interpretation of your plotline, or any other elements of your story? It can help you sort things out and get your figurative hands around its entirety. I also share a link to a great blog post on this topic!
Birth of a Novel
Are you working on a novel? What’s it about? Struggling with anything? Share here, or over on our discussion forum. We’d love to talk with you about it.
Author As Stress Manager?
Here’s something I think most of us heavy readers already knew: Reading reduces stress. That’s right! Marie Claire UK reports that a University of Sussex study has shown stress levels decrease in people up to 68% while they read. Check out the article for more details, but I didn’t need a study to prove that… Read more »
Everyone Needs Some Inspiration
Just got done viewing the first episode of Ken Burns’ “The National Parks – America’s Best Idea” for the second time. Apparently, I forgot to delete it from my TiVo schedule, and now it’s in re-runs. I’m glad. This time, instead of being preoccupied with the lush cinematography and engaging storyline, I paid more attention to… Read more »
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