Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
Roughly four months ago I began a challenge, to write one short story a week for a year. 52 stories in 52 weeks sounded like nothing when I sat at the starting line of week one with a few good ideas but when I finished week two I was concerned and I began to worry …
Continue reading “Story Ideas in Unlikely Places”
I cannot help but post about Maya Angelou today. My sense of loss is profound. My sense of humor sits quietly, taking a back seat to reflection. As a child, I had a teacher who, when talking about poetry, managed to make me feel less than intelligent because I never understood the point of poetry. …
Continue reading “Peace”
One of the sources I love to tap into when I’m writing historical fiction is ephemera. Ephemera are paper objects meant to serve a short-term function and be disposed of at the end of their useful lifespan. Some of the many items that fall into this category are product labels, railroad tickets, dressmakers patterns and …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: Historical Ephemera”
There’s a well-known line from George R.R. Martin’s book A Dance With Dragons: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.” Truth! With that in mind, here’s 9 Vicarious Lives I’ve lived thanks to books… I traveled the galaxy with a towel. (Hitchhiker’s Guide …
Continue reading “Friday Inspirations: V is for Vicariously Living Through Books”
When I was a kid, there was something called the “Young Authors Conference.” Teachers would get their students to make “books” and the best would go to the conference, which took place in a school gym somewhere with a bunch of other kids and guest authors. I looked forward to this every year because I …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: Books I Wrote as a Kid”
Yesterday, March 20th, was the first day of spring. It might not look like spring where you are. Heather just mentioned having 100 consecutive days of snow in Toronto, and posted some fetching photos of herself in a snowsuit on Twitter. I, on the other hand, live in California. I know I’m better off than …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: Spring!”
Okay, I’m admitting this right up front. I may be making this up. However, I do believe these memories are real. I have a vivid recollection of the first “grown-up” book I read; Heidi, by Johanna Spyri, originally published in 1880 and in German: A tale about a little Swiss girl and her grandfather. I’d …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: Homage to Shirley Temple/ Writing Stories with Unabashed Optimism”
When I was a kid, my family went to Disney World in Florida. Apparently, the favorite Disney theme park for most kids is The Magic Kingdom, but I loved The EPCOT Center’s World Showcase. Now an adult, I realize this is hardly an adequate representation of the world’s countries, but to a small town girl …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: Writer Wanderlust”
Love! Is there a more powerful force in the universe? As writers, we often need to tap into our deepest emotions, dredging for the painful, as well as the pleasant. Love manages to deliver both extremes. Devastating breakups. Giddy whirlwind infatuations. Love eludes, entangles, and enriches our lives like no other human condition. Today for …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: Five Romantic Treats for Valentine’s Day”
UnderCovers Part I: Alyx The old adage goes: Write what you know, and this is particularly pertinent in regard to location. There was a good deal of criticism about E.L James’ depiction of Seattle, WA, many saying she had some of the roads incorrect and the time it took to get her characters around was inaccurate. …
Continue reading “Friday Inspiration: Research Your Setting”