Category: About Reading & Writing
-
My Writing Space
The place where I write is special because for a very long time I didn’t have my own space. I did all my writing at the kitchen table. When my sons grew up and moved out, I had the opportunity to create an office for myself. The possibilities thrilled me, and I’m happy with the…
-
Destiny Comes Due
Paper Lantern Writers usually starts discussing themes for anthologies almost a year in advance. The members mull ideas, it’s discussed at meetings, and a topic decided. The Publication Committee takes over from there. In early 2024, when the theme of a Day of Reckoning was announced, I like to connect my short stories in our…
-
Writing Historical Attitudes for Modern Audiences
One of the hardest things about writing historical fiction is accurately portraying out of date attitudes. A character’s thoughts and feelings, and their emotional reactions, must be real to the times but still relatable to modern readers. Dialogue can be changed with little or no impact on a story (not using the “n” word, for…
-
Three Tips for New Writers
I don’t believe anyone can become a fabulous writer by following only three tips, nor do I believe anyone can absorb the entire multitude of writing advice offered. These three tips will give you a strong start, after which you can further explore what you need to know. Every author, aspiring, struggling, or successful, has…
-
What’s in a Cover?
Let me start by saying that I am NOT a book cover designer. I know what I like, but I don’t always know why I like it (or hate it). A good example is my novel Under the Almond Trees. I liked aspects of the original cover, like the blossoming almond trees. I also like…