I met a young woman on the plane ride home from Boston last Friday. We gave the cursory greetings as we settled into our seats and for most of the flight she read her book and I wrote a scene for my novel. But during the last 45 minutes we started chatting and dove deep…
One of my favorite things about writing a novel is that I have one-hundred percent creative freedom with what I choose to put into print. The plot lines, the mystery and suspense, the budding romance, scenery, homes and lifestyles, even the clothes people wear and food they eat – all of it is just made…
There is significant mention of Iran in our media lately – so much controversy surrounding the nuclear deal, sanctions, mullahs and the like. For nearly 40 years the U.S. has had a broken relationship with the country and certainly there is a lot to have concern about with the current regime, so many unanswered questions…
I find myself experiencing the world anew since I’ve started writing regularly. My pace has changed; it’s not less productive, just less harried. I notice more details in my surroundings and think of how I would describe wherever I happen to be. I’m more observant not only of sights and sounds, but also smells, tastes…
The early evening sky gleamed, a uniform silvery blue with flat gray clouds hanging in painted forms like a child’s drawing. The summer sun had not yet set, leaving enough light to see my friends as they sped ahead of me across the lawn, the world draining of color in the disappearing light. It was…
Why do we pause in our lives for reflection when someone has died, or when we’ve reached some milestone like a birthday or certain number of years of something? Why are we not present with each other, with our children, with our family and friends every day? I am as guilty of this as anyone,…
Writing Coach Rule #1 – when crafting a new scene, map it out, start writing and then put it away. DO NOT read what you just wrote, just keep going. I’ve already broken Rule #1. I could not finish writing today and leave well-enough alone. So when I finished my daily quota (yep, there is…
I am finally making my dream a reality. For several years I’ve been sitting on a story swirling around in my head and have shared with only a handful of very close family and friends that I actually wanted to write a book. So this week, I arranged time with a writing coach and have started…