Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
Sculpture tells a story, the same way a book does. The difference lies in the medium, but the essence of any art form rests in connection and communication. As children, we learned to associate shapes with their function, even before we identified them with words. We didn’t know how to write VROOM VROOM, but we …
Continue reading “Cross Training For Writers: Think Like A Sculptor”
Ballet remains the one career in which a girl gets to bring a crowd to its feet while wearing a tiara and tutu. Ballet’s history; its demanding, often petulant nature; its narratives, romance, melodrama and mystery enthrall audiences from Russia and China to Cuba and South Africa. Giselle and Swan Lake have a fairy tale …
Continue reading “Cross Training For Writers: Think Like A Ballerina”
As one year tips into the next, a lot of blogs look back as well as forward. I read an interesting post on Kristen Lamb’s blog that forecasts trends in the publishing industry, and she’s pretty spot on if you ask me. Artists in different disciplines will begin to work more collaboratively as we all …
Continue reading “Cross Training For Writers: Think Like A Film Maker”
This time of year, as we wrap gifts and consider which New Year’s Eve party to attend, it’s inevitable that we look back on 2013 before it slips away. Happily, 2013 saw the birth of Write On Sisters. As individuals, each of the Sisters has had challenges and triumphs that left us reeling or dancing a …
Continue reading “A Holiday Wish For Writers”
In the life of any book, there comes a time when the writer has to step back from the creative process and move into editing mode. Once that first draft is down, whether written in spurts or a steady stream, the task of critical evaluation and tweaking begins. We go over our work multiple times …
Continue reading “An Editor’s Perspective on Killing Our Darlings”
My last post explained how I became an author. I had the inspiration, the enthusiasm, the passion to write; imagination and story-telling my forte. I’m reasonably well-educated so I figured I didn’t have far to go to master the finite skills to get published, right? Well, no. One of my first lessons came from my …
Continue reading “The School of Hard Knocks: Learning the Craft”
Writing is hard work, but there’s lots to be said for what it offers: flexible hours, creative freedom, a vehicle for expression and communication. A book marks our spot in the world, reflecting our passage long after we’re gone, and even if only one person reads it, the act of leaving a tangible part of …
Continue reading “A Cruise Through the Emotional Valleys and Peaks of Writing”
The old adage, ‘Writers are born, not made,’ is something I believed, well…until I didn’t. And I’m taking this statement literally as in that newborn baby snuggled in an isolate could write something amazing if he could get to a laptop. I’m sure there are people who are born to write, but I think it’s …
Continue reading “Writers are made, not born. Girl on Fire!”
The decision to self publish can be tough. For some of us, it follows months of pursuing the traditional route, trying to stay buoyant through multiple rejections and dozens of rewrites, catering to the expressed or implied preferences of industry professionals and beta readers. A few authors eschew the big five and smaller independent presses …
Continue reading “The Decision to Self Publish: Defeat or Triumph?”
When my daughter Amber was seven years old, she wanted a kitten, and we decided to seek one out at the SPCA in Johannesburg. Any visit to a shelter is always heart wrenching because there are so many animals worthy of adoption, and their survival depends on their ability to connect with us. Most seem …
Continue reading “Marketing Our Books: What We Can Learn From Our Pets”