When writing fiction, I find timelines to be tricky, slippery little devils. My current work-in-progress (WIP) is a holiday novel and the opening scene takes place the Monday after Thanksgiving (US). So, I am motoring along, seventy thousand words in and so much has happened that I have no idea what the date is in…
Book Review Why We Write is a collection of essays from 20 authors*, edited by Meredith Maran. The essays are written by authors who “have written books that sell in the kinds of numbers that make publishers send them flowers and leather-bound first editions. And most importantly, new book contracts.” Maran calls them the successful ones,…
Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks has the rather ambitious subtitle “Everything You Need to Know, from Crafting the Idea to Getting Published”. For the most part, the book lives up to its promise. Regina Brooks covers all the essentials of writing great books for young adults, such as plot, character, setting…
Dani Shapiro’s Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life is a gentle companion, filled with a myriad of antidotes that helps the writer on their own personal journey. The book is not a how-to guide in the least. It does not go over grammar, writing a sentence, or the like. It does, however,…
As the year end approaches, the conversation inevitably turns to what we have accomplished and our plans and resolutions. Very few of us have the luxury of spending as much time as we would like focused on our writing. Most of us are greedy for any time management tips and tricks that will help us…
Book Review As National Novel Writing Month approaches, you only have to browse on Amazon to see that the annual challenge has resulted in a host of guides for getting the most out of the month-long novel writing marathon. Many of them are valuable and interesting. For me, none will ever replace the original NaNoWriMo…
BIW Member Interview Dawn Compton, from Bellville, TX, writes that, “Living in Texas on a ranch is my best motivation to write. My family is kept busy with many animals that my son shows at all the major state livestock shows. Since I do the hauling and dead time before the shows, my favorite place…
BIW Member Interview Rita B. Fox writes short stories and children stories. She is always surprised other people like them. She is 49 years old, married and has three kids. She likes to be creative with writing, drawing, and poetry. She loves to cuddle with her 11 year old daughter, who is often her pool…