by Dave King | Sep 17, 2019 | Craft, doctorow, Genre, literature, meaning, meaninglessness, murakami, REAL WORLD, Writing
Not long ago, a friend who has been reading literary novels for years recommended one to me – Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami – and gave me the Kindle version. Murakami is award-winning and well-reviewed, so I launched into the book with considerable hope.I...
by Greer Macallister | Sep 2, 2019 | Genre, provocations, REAL WORLD, traditional publishing, Writing, Writing life
Image by thecryptI had the pleasure of attending this year’s National Book Festival in Washington, DC, and as a historical novelist, of course I gravitated to the sessions on historical fiction. Hundreds of audience members flocked to hear perspectives from Philippa...
by Heather Webb | Aug 22, 2019 | Genre, Inspirations, Lamentations, REAL WORLD, Writing, Writing life
ew.com Romance novels get a bad rap, and yet, at the very core of human existence is the need to be loved, to belong, and to find a mate. What is it about romance that makes some sneer? Even Nicholas Sparks has said he doesn’t write romance, he writes love stories, or...
by Keith Cronin | Jul 26, 2019 | Craft, Genre, humor, Inspirations, Movie Talk, Process, REAL WORLD, Writing, Writing life
Notting Hill, that is.As writers, we often draw our inspiration from a wide range of sources. Sometimes, those sources may be unlikely or counterintuitive. But the trick, I think, is to keep an open mind, and to stay receptive to inspiration from ANY source. Maybe...
by David Corbett | Jul 12, 2019 | Craft, Craftfest, dilemmas, Donald Maass, Genre, moral dillemma, REAL WORLD, ThrillerFest, Writing
Rose Compass by Enrico StrocchiHow do our characters navigate their way through difficult choices where the moral issues are ambiguous, contradictory, or insufficient to resolve the dilemma? How are they to determine what is the right or the good thing to do? How can...
by David Corbett | Apr 12, 2019 | Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None, Book Passage, Book Passage Mystery Writers' Conference, crime fiction, crime writing, Diversity, Elouise "Lou" Norton, Genre, Inspirations, Lou Norton, mystery, mystery writing, Rachel Howzell Hall, REAL WORLD, They All Fall Down, writer's digest, Writer's Digest Annual Conference, Writing, Writing life
I heard of Rachel Howzell Hall long before we actually met. I had been told by friends about her Elouise “Lou” Norton novels based in South Central Los Angeles, and found them every bit as smart, grounded, and compelling as advertised. Then I read her now famous 2015...
