Writing Blog
Sarah Waters’ ten rules for writing fiction
I enjoyed British author Sarah Waters’ World War II novel The Night Watch, and I absolutely adored her wonderfully atmospheric, Gothic novel The Little Stranger. So when I saw this Aerogramme Writers’ Studio post with the author’s useful writing advice – Sarah Waters’ ten rules for writing fiction – I had to see what this…
Read MoreYour story architecture
Going through a complete apartment renovation means I probably have architecture on the mind. But I know I should probably take my story architecture as seriously as I do my home architecture. That’s why I was so happy to see this post on the wonderful Writers in the Storm blog : Figuring out your story’s turning…
Read MoreSummer Holiday Reading
Since I adore travel and reading in equal measure, it’s not odd that I love to combine the two. When I visit a place, I always try to have a novel set in that destination tucked away in my suitcase. Some of my most vivid impressions I’ve experienced while reading books have been for books…
Read MoreHappy retirement, Alice Munro!
I know that many admirers – like me – of Canadian short story writer Alice Munro were saddened to know that the talented author has announced her retirement from writing. I love Ms Munro’s stories, always based in the same Canadian regions and following the lives of every day men and women. Although the stories…
Read MoreEven author JK Rowling is a victim of the slushpile
To all you authors querying your work and trying to bounce back after rejections – take heart! The slushpile is a place aspiring authors know all too well, but British author JK Rowling, of Harry Potter fame, hasn’t had to face rejection in a long time. Until now, that is. An article in The Telegraph…
Read MoreAuthor interview with Breaking the Rules’ Melinda Dozier
What a pleasure to have a return visit from talented – and prolific – romance author, Melinda Dozier. Full disclosure: Melinda just happens to be one of my fantastic critique partners, too. If you missed my author interview with Melinda on her first novel, Time Changes Everything, you can see it here. 2013 has been…
Read MoreDreaming of a writing get-away
I’ve already written about how I sometimes dream, when I travel, of a room with a view where I can take a little writing retreat. When I visit these idyllic places, I am generally exploring with family or friends, and I don’t have the time – or desire – to seek out the solitude needed…
Read MoreAuthor Jhumpa Lahiri reading in the Roman Forum
Last week, I went to see an author whose work I admire read in the Roman Forum. The American author Jhumpa Lahiri is in Rome as the 2013 Writer in Residence at John Cabot University. I saw her introduce the reading with Italian author Francesca Marciano, where she she spoke about her love of Rome and the…
Read MoreA conversation with writer Francesca Marciano
An English-language university here in Rome hosts author nights, open to the public. Last year, I wrote about the fabulous Conversation with Joyce Carol Oates I attended. This year, I decided to attend a conversation and reading with the Italian author, Francesca Marciano. Ms Marciano was introduced by John Cabot University’s Writer in Residence, Jhumpa…
Read MoreAbdicating the papacy in literature
When, on 11 February, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he would be abdicating the papacy, a modest 13th century Italian monk became an unlikely feature bar in newspapers worldwide. That’s because, before Pope Benedict’s surprising news, the last Pope to have resigned from his office was Pope Celestine V, way back in 1294. Pope Celestine’s…
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