Writing Blog
What I learned at the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival
In September, I went for the second time to the annual Matera Women’s Fiction Festival, in the beautiful southern Italian town of Matera. The festival brings together many women –and a few men – writers of women’s fiction, including mainstream, romance, mystery, fantasy, thrillers, historical and young adult. There are so many changes going on…
Read MoreAuthor interview: Chantel Rhondeau
Okay, I have to be honest here from the start. I’m not a romance reader. Bare-chested men on book covers generally stop me from exploring the story within. And yet, here I am promoting a romance novel … complete with pectorals on display… and I really enjoyed this book. I became critique partners with Chantel…
Read MoreGreetings from the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival
This is an advance post anticipating the fun I’ll be having at the Matera Women’s Fiction Festival when this goes up. The annual festival is underway in the spectacular southern Italian town of Matera. If you haven’t seen my travel post on Matera and you’re flat out of ideas for your next holiday, be sure…
Read MoreWhy writing is like performing live at the Apollo
Okay, so some of you may not know the Apollo theater in New York. The theater began its life in 1914, as a burlesque hall. It closed in 1933, when then Mayor La Guardia began shutting down burlesque shows in the city. But in 1934, the theatre re-opened as the Apollo, catering to Harlem’s growing African-American…
Read MoreMy short story was selected for the Foreign Encounters Anthology 2012
I was pleased to learn that one of my short stories was selected for inclusion in the Foreign Encounters Anthology 2012. The publication will be released in October. Each year, Writers Abroad selects stories for their anthology, based on a theme. This year, authors were asked to submit a short story or non-fiction piece of…
Read MoreMy story ‘Holiday Bliss’ is now online
I announced a while back that my short story, Holiday Bliss, was selected for the upcoming edition of the WriteFrance anthology. The publication will be released later this month, but prior to its launch, the WriteFrance site has made the pdf file of the publication temporarily available online. If you’re interested in reading Holiday Bliss,…
Read More30 harshest author-on-author insults
As every author knows, learning to get critiqued and getting used to reading bad reviews is all part of the job description. Developing a thick skin (and a good sense of humor) is probably one of the best things a writer can do for himself or herself. I do believe writers can benefit from constructive…
Read MoreDon’t eavesdrop! Unless you’re a writer
Eavesdropping is rude, or at least that’s what your mom always told you. And it’s good advice… except when it isn’t. For a writer, overheard snatches of conversation can provide a wealth of material. They can spark a story idea, just when you need inspiration. They can provide insight into the thought patterns of people…
Read MoreThe beauty of well-crafted sentences
Thanks to Claire, over at the fantastic Word by Word site for pointing out this New York Times article I had missed, “My Life’s Sentences” by the American author Jhumpa Lahiri. I haven’t yet read Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel, The Namesake, which Claire reviews over on Word by Word , but I have read Ms Lahiri’s…
Read MoreWhat’s wrong with being an aspiring author?
Recently I’ve seen some blogs criticizing people who choose to call themselves aspiring authors. The argument goes that since you’re writing, you’re already a writer and it somehow brings shame to the profession to describe yourself as anything but an ‘unmodified’ author. Luckily, there’s always room for debate on every issue. Personally, I find no…
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