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Tortoise vs. Hare

Tortoise vs. Hare

I have been pondering the pace at which I write my novels. I’d thought that I’d been working on this latest book for five years now, until I realized just today that in fact it’s edging past six, since Memorial Day half a dozen years…

In Tribute to Ray Bradbury

In Tribute to Ray Bradbury

Yesterday, in my Wednesday Evening Adult Writers Circle, I used the first line from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 as a tribute to the now late, always great science fiction author. Anna Cunningham wrote such a moving piece to the prompt (in 15 minutes, no less),…

The Mystical World of Historical Fiction by novelist Stephanie Cowell

The Mystical World of Historical Fiction by novelist Stephanie Cowell

Stephanie Cowell is a very old friend. For those of you who’ve been in my classes before, she’s the “Stephanie” I mention enviously (in the most generous of ways) when she got her first book contract so many years ago. She’s a novelist of inestimable…

Literary Surgery

Literary Surgery

I’ve been kind of quiet lately on the blog that I began, but there’s a reason. With everything growing on steroids here at TWC, I’ve been stealing what little free time I have to DO MY OWN WRITING! Yes, I have not given up and…

Writers on the Spot – Reading aloud

Writers on the Spot – Reading aloud

A conversation with Judith Lindbergh and Michelle Cameron In anticipation of our upcoming workshop, “Reading Your Writing for an Audience”, Michelle and I thought we should discuss why we thought such a program was really relevant to writers. Below is the result of an interesting…

More Lessons from a Friend: My Experience So Far: Indie Publisher vs. Self-Publishing

More Lessons from a Friend: My Experience So Far: Indie Publisher vs. Self-Publishing

As I noted in our last post, Kathy Lynn Harris and I go way back. But I think it’s how we kept ourselves moving forward that really mattered; encouraging one another through the good times of our individual writing careers and — regrettably — the…

Lessons from a Friend: "How My Ebook Helped Me Nab a Publishing Contract"

Lessons from a Friend: "How My Ebook Helped Me Nab a Publishing Contract"

Kathy Lynn Harris and I go way back – all the way to the first writing conference I ever attended, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, some 15 odd years ago. The conference, in addition to solidifying my ambitions to become a published author, also gave me…

But is it a "book"?  (And does it even matter?)

But is it a "book"? (And does it even matter?)

Every time I begin with a new class of young students, I sit them in a circle on the floor and ask them to imagine that they’re sitting around a campfire long ago. “In the ancient days, the storyteller was the keeper of all the…

Good Works by Good Book People

Good Works by Good Book People

Book people have always been a fascinating lot, interested in social issues, human issues, the doings of societies, freedom of speech, education and more. A good work begun by one of our community, TWC’s good friend and former Thursday night regular Lois Cantwell: As a…

On the Gust of Momentum

On the Gust of Momentum

I recently wrote a friend saying that my writing “suddenly caught a gust of momentum and is flying along.” Her response: “fly that wind!” made me smile. It also made me contemplate something that writers struggle with – how do you keep up your enthusiasm…

Creativity Needs Time

Creativity Needs Time

OK, here I go again with the writer’s perfect gift. It is, this year, every year, forever and always, simply time. I wrote about it a couple of years ago, and I still cannot stress enough how absolutely true it is. But last time I…

‘Twas the Tweet before Christmas…

‘Twas the Tweet before Christmas…

For those of you who missed The Writers Circle’s terrific holiday gathering this past Saturday, here’s a little holiday treat written and shared by one of our circle, Michael Pilla. It’s a perfect re-envisioning of a holiday classic, just right for the moment in which…