Posts Tagged ‘writing’
Does sloppy author research drive you crazy?
I recently picked up a novel by an author who seems to set some of her stories in Italy. This one was set in Rome – my city. It had a gorgeous cover, and I’d never read any of her work before, so I picked it up. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy anything about the book:…
Read MoreSorry to have missed this year’s Matera Women’s Fiction Festival
Around this time of year, I find myself engaged in the (pleasurable) task of writing up what I’ve learned at the annual Matera Women’s Fiction Festival. Matera is a very special town in southern Italy where writers of women’s fiction and women writers of all genres gather to learn about changes in the industry, to…
Read MoreBack to school … err.. writing!
‘Tis that time of year. New notebooks and pencils, giving up the freedom of long summer days of unscheduled time and getting that derriere back in the chair to concentrate on putting pen to paper and working once again. Sounds like back to school season, doesn’t it? And, not so strangely, it’s also back-to-writing season for…
Read MoreThe origins of greatness
“Everything important always begins from something trivial.” – Donald Hall A great quote from the American poet Donald Hall. As any student of history knows, many of the greatest wars and tragedies in history were sparked by events that, with the benefit of hindsight, appear trivial and easy to avoid. Likewise for authors. Howard’s End…
Read MoreHolidays as creative writing time?
I’m not sure how I feel about this. Sometimes as I leave for holidays I have big plans for what I want to accomplish writing-wise. Other departures, I realize that there is very little point in hoping I’ll accomplish anything beyond normal vacation recharging. This year I have writing goals, but I’m not sure how…
Read MoreThe links between authors and painters
“I learn as much from painters about how to write as from writers.” -Ernest Hemingway An interesting question raised by an author I have to admit (stereotypically? unfairly?) I would never have imagined to have pondered such a question. But I have always loved art for many of the same reasons I’ve always loved literature…
Read MoreWriting as a second life
“Writing is neither a happy nor an unhappy occupation—it is something between. It is a second life.” —Ismail Kadare Thought-provoking words from the talented Albanian author Ismail Kadare. Writing is a type of second life for authors who have an imaginary word in their heads, with their characters speaking to one another, acting out possible…
Read MoreDo you ever need incentives to edit?
Your novel is all completed and now it’s just down to the easy peasy task of editing, right? Well, err, I doubt many would describe it that way. I find the initial writing to be the easier task, and the editing process to be much slower going. That’s why I like to look at photos…
Read MoreElena Ferrante on bending writing rules
“I use plots, yes, but, I have to say, I can’t respect the rules of genres.” —Elena Ferrante Successful, anonymous author Elena Ferrante certainly has the right to devise books any way she chooses. The Italian novelist (male or female, we don’t know, but my money’s on female) became an international bestseller with her ‘Neapolitan…
Read MoreWriting inspiration from Lord Byron
If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad. Lord Byron These words from the great Romantic poet, George Gordon Noel Byron (1788-1824), more commonly known as simply Lord Byron, may feel quite familiar to writers. Well, hopefully not hauled-off-in-a-straight-jacket mad, but I’ve been known to have stories jingling around in my head,…
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