novels of suspense, romance and intrigue
I feel like many authors would agree that dialogue is both a joy and a little bit of a nuisance to write. Conversations are such critical elements in fiction, allowing the characters to meet, interact, develop, perform, discover and figure out. For all the incredibly eloquent descriptions we might pour onto a page, for all… Continue reading The Delights and Challenges of Dialogue
It's been an incredibly strange time for all of us, strange and complicated and challenging, defined by fear, uncertainty, isolation, unity, unexpected blessings and unplanned burdens. In the first month or so of shelter in place, I found it difficult to get my scattered thoughts down in my journal, much less to work on any… Continue reading A Row of Books
One of the most extraordinary gifts of human consciousness is the gift of imagination. It's something we don't foster or value much in adulthood, not the way we do in children, though it's a necessary tool of every storyteller from author to actor, teacher to scientist, musician to historian.
I'm now well into writing the tenth book in the series. In June, my seedling of an idea blossomed into the beginning of a story, and I dove headfirst into the first half. Chapter after chapter flew down, characters took form and were brought to life. And then last Monday, I opened the 41,000-word file, scrolled to the… Continue reading The Plot Beast
