Did you know that John Steinbeck kept a journal while writing East of Eden and that it is available in book form? For writers who struggle with such things as self-doubt, writer’s block, and guilt, John Steinbeck’s Journal of a Novel is balm to a wound. He wrote it in the form of letters to his editor at Viking Press, calling it his way […]
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Are You An Accidental Plagiarist?
The idea of plagiarism scares me, as it should. I am a writer of fiction and of a blog, so I need to be careful in how I do research and pass it on, so I don’t use other people’s words as my own. When I don’t know about a subject (which is often), I defer to experts. I use quotes, and […]
Journal Treasures – Writing a Book
While scavenging through old journals for inspiration, I came across an entry I’d written January 1, 2003 about writing a book. Writing a Book A new year begins. A fresh start. Many hopes. Many dreams. One of my wildest dreams is to complete my first novel. I finished writing it a year ago, but it isn’t complete. I’ve […]
The Fiction Class
I’d like to tell you about a book that not only teaches you about fiction, but is fiction. The Fiction Class, by Susan Breen, is a story about Arabella Hicks, teacher of a weekly fiction class on New York’s Upper West Side. An author herself, Arabella can’t seem to find an ending to a novel she has […]
The Absolute Truth
I was more or less told by at least three sources to get my act together and start sharing something about my journey as a writer on this blog. Their logic: “That’s what your blog is about, right?” “Tell us about you,” one said. “Share some of your work,” said another. Okay. Okay. I get the […]
Twelve Essential Writer Tools for Life and Sanity
All authors need writer tools (Or should I say crutches?) to give them a boost when their writing is not going well. In my case, make that twelve. Twelve little crutches to support me as I limp through “The Between,” from creating to publishing my work. Morning Journal. First thing every morning, I write in my […]
