How To Pick A Setting For Your Book

How To Pick A Setting For Your Book by @barbaradelinsky #book #place #setting

Here I am again, having just finished writing one opus and now contemplating the next. Where to place it? Where would you set your book, if you were to write one? I’ve been writing about New England pretty much since the start of my career. There were a few exceptions years ago when I set…

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I’m incubating …

Incubating.  What does that mean, someone recently asked.  This person had first asked if I was taking a break, now that my new book is finished and in production.  Lord, no, I said.  Writing is what I do.  It’s what I think about when I’m up the creek without a paddle – e.g., in the…

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The art of the apology

“I’m sorry,” she said in horror. Embarrassed, she said, “I’m really sorry.” “I am so, so sorry,” she said with heartfelt regret. I write these words in my books all the time.  In fact, I’m about to write a pivotal scene in Making Up in which apologies are key.  It’s between mother and daughter, Margaret…

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Word Revolution, Part 2: YOU

You wordsmiths, you!  Thanks so much for reading last month’s blog and jumping in with your own suggestions.  I was thrilled with the words you posted – and dismayed at not having thought of them myself!  In an attempt to rectify the latter, I hereby revisit the word revolution issue.  Just to refresh your memory,…

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Word revolution

Here’s a fun exercise. But first, a bit of philosophy.  Contrary to many people in the news who use words to destroy, writers use them to create.  I love words – love putting them together in a way that paints an action, a sentiment, a hope or a dream.  I play with them endlessly when…

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How to pick the right title for a book?

If I knew the answer to that, I’d save myself a lot of angst.  Picking a title is easy.  Picking the right one, not necessarily so. Who picks the title?  Sometimes it’s me.  From my initial conception, Flirting with Pete was Flirting with Pete.  Same with Lake News, Heart of the Night, Not My Daughter, and…

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Why I included what I did in BLUEPRINTS

With Blueprints going on sale in paperback this week, I just reread it to refresh my memory.  Does it surprise you that I would need to do that?  But consider this.  I’ve written and published more than 80 books.  No human mind can keep straight all the details of 80 books.  Moreover, it’s been two…

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Why I’m not retiring

A reader just wrote that she heard I was retiring.  Who said that? No.  I’m not retiring.  Let’s be clear about it.  I.  Am.  Not.  Retiring. Not that I haven’t considered it in moments of frustration.  Life for a writer has changed.  When I started – more than 30 years ago – all I had…

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To what are we most committed?

Commitments is my 42nd child – but every single child of mine is special to me. Their birthdays are cause for celebration, which is what I’m doing today. I’m celebrating the birth of Commitments as an eBook. It’s about time! Commitments was first published in 1988 and has been issued in every other format but…

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Does the ending suit you?

I’ve done a lot of reading this summer. I’ve also spent a lot of time studying reader reviews on Amazon, as well as taking part in discussion groups on Goodreads. Two of the books I’ve read, in particular – Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman and Lisa Genova’s Inside the O’Briens – had endings with which readers…

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