The Very, Very Basics of Writing Anything There are three fundamental elements of every piece of written work—including film, non-fiction and grocery lists. These three elements must be present or there is no point in proceeding. In non-fiction, the three elements forming the basics of a book are: Idea – the Topic Reason – Information […]
Disappointments Come in Small Doses
Disappointments come at every juncture of our lives. As children we face rejection as players on teams, aren’t invited to a classmate’s birthday party, fail a test or don’t get the grade we wanted on a paper. These are all learning experiences and prepare us for the inevitable rough treatment we will face in the […]
Standing Up to the Meanies
I started school a year later than my first grade classmates because my family had moved from Maine, where children don’t go to kindergarten. I had also come from a rural village where our nearest neighbor was a quarter mile down the road. Adjusting to city life was made a little easier by the nearby […]
Suppose You Write a Book… — Repost
I wrote this post in April 2014, on my usual 4th Tuesday of the month, for Classic and Cozy Books on Blogspot. …And what? Why do we tell stories? For me, this activity became a lifelong occupation from the age of three. One night, I woke from a nightmare that, to this day, fills me […]
Writing About Writing is More Fun Than…
Writing! And as soon as I had thought of the title for this blog, I recalled an encounter that made a mark and was instrumental in guiding me forward. Years ago, I attended a literary event and had a conversation with an escapee from a New England family. I believed, being also from New England, […]
Ebook Sale Starts March 4!
Montlake Publishing (my publisher for my debut novel) will, on Amazon, be offering Wait a Lonely Lifetime at 1/3 the usual price (99¢) from Friday, March 4th through Monday, April 4th. In the spirit of this Spring Sale from Montlake Publishing, I will be offering the same amazing deal for ALL my books currently listed on Amazon, Kobo, […]
Dancing into a Story — Repost
This was my second post for Classic and Cozy Books, March 25, 2014, posted shortly after I published Salsa Dancing with Pterodactyls, one of my favorite novels. If we don’t like our own work, why are we writing? Have you ever found yourself writing, without premeditation, about someone from your distant past, even your childhood, whom you have […]
Classic, Cozy & Cunning – Repost
That was first published in ClassicandCozyBooks.blogspot.com – the group blog I’ve participated in since February 2014 – two years ago from this coming Wednesday! We’ve all read books set in different countries, regions, time periods with characters from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. The attempt to capture the sound of speech and cultural nuances is […]
When We’re Not Who We Think We Are
As with many Americans, because my family came here as immigrants—as did everyone else in the world to their respective countries however long ago that was—I have an interest in my roots. Over time, roots get buried so deep that digging one up disrupts everything you thought you knew about yourself and who you thought […]
Preview: Nights Before: The Novel
On the Night Before Labor Day, a preview of my latest novel: Opening chapter of first story. New Year’s Eve is a time for reflection and change. Jocelyn has more changes coming at her from all directions beginning on a Portland, Maine winter day than she’s faced since her mother’s death. None of it bodes well for […]