Writing Blog
Boys don’t read?
I’ve already written about my fantastic annual pilgrimage to the Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera last month. One of many interesting discussions for writers was the (terrifying?) assertion that boys don’t read. Media consultant Porter Andersen discussed this interesting topic. When boys and girls are young, they are read to by their parents, caretakers, teachers,…
Read MoreNovember’s almost upon us. Will you be NaNo-ing?
We’ve arrived once again, fellow writers. November is just around the corner, and you know what that means… For a small group of writers (and those, like me, who cheer you on from the sidelines), it means the annual challenge known as National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) This insane inspiring novel-writing challenge asks writers to…
Read MoreWrap-up of the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival 2015
Wow, another amazing year in southern Italy at the annual Matera Women’s Fiction Festival. I have been going for the past few years, and I always enjoy this yearly pilgrimage to this beautiful Italian cave town, and the chance to learn about trends in publishing and writing, to attend writing workshops and one-on-one sessions with…
Read MoreGreetings from the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival 2015!
When this post goes out, I’ll be happily on my annual hajj to Matera, the beautiful cave town in southern Italy. Each September, the town plays host to the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival, and I always enjoy my literary escape to this idyllic spot. Each year, I learn so much about the publishing industry, chat…
Read MoreAuthors – are you dedicated to content marketing?
Literary agent Rachelle Gardner had an excellent post on her blog entitled ‘What the heck is content marketing?’ Content marketing may sound like a confusing term, but it really means attracting loyal readers to the content on your blog and social media. Writers should find this easy, since they love to write for wide audiences.…
Read MoreA city for readers – Salzburg
Heaven, I’m in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak… That’s how I felt one early morning in August as I stumbled upon Salzburg’s Mozartplatz, just as they were setting up the square for avid readers. The beautiful square, with its stunning views up to the castle and watched over by…
Read MoreRobert Frost was a pantser, too?
I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew. Writing a poem is discovering. ~ Robert Frost Who knew – poet Robert Frost was a pantser (a.k.a. non-plotter), too? I’m always interested to read about techniques of various authors: some are meticulous plotters, while others are unabashed pantsers. It never fails to surprise…
Read MoreMore summer favorite reading … That Summer
After reading and enjoying Lauren Willig’s The Ashford Affair, I was happy to pick up That Summer. Willig’s new novel is a dual narrative following both modern Julia Conley, a victim of New York’s financial crisis who finds herself out of a job, but inheriting a house – Herne House – from a mysterious aunt…
Read MoreHolidays = writers’ daydreaming time
Ah, holidays. Even if it doesn’t necessarily afford the extra writing time one might have imagined, it almost always is an ideal time for the daydreaming so important for planning and plotting your next novel. It’s helpful to step out of daily routines, and to have a more fluid schedule someplace new. This always helps…
Read MoreJane Smiley’s trilogy experimentation
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley was interviewed for the September 2015 edition of Writer’s Digest. In the interview, she discussed numerous topics, including her new trilogy, The Last Hundred Years. The three novels will follow the Langdon family and their five children for a period of 100 years. The saga begins on a farm in…
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