In writing my grandmother’s and mother’s memoir, I am struck by the universal themes that are peppering my pages. Love, death and destruction. Woven through all of this is the…
Universal Themes
Ramping up the tension
I’m just about finished reading The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest. I find it fascinating to see how Stieg Larsson ramps up the tension as he progresses through his…
Exposition
In our writing group last night, we discussed exposition and the need to weave it into the scenes seamlessly. It’s every writer’s challenge. How do you give background information so…
Breaking the rules
Like any other professional, a writer never stops honing his craft. There are so many “dos” and “don’ts” in articles on how to write, that if an author tried to…
Endings
My visit to my mother in the personal care home is ending, but the memories of our visit will carry me until the next time, if there is one. She…
My Mother’s Stories
I’m visiting my 95 year old mother in a personal care home. My mother was a wonderful storyteller but now her mind is failing. She can no longer remember details,…
Point of View
As a member of Rivercity Writers group for several years now, we’ve had numerous discussions about point of view in writing. Too much head swapping can be confusing. And yet,…
Using Real Characters In Fiction
Today, I read about an interesting court case in the USA. Katherine Stockett, author of debut novel, The Help, is being sued by the maid she based her fictional character…
Prologues
In my second novel, I wrote a prologue. I’ve agonized over it, as it’s not short. As an avid reader, I’ve had mixed feelings about reading prologues, sometimes enjoying them,…