Posts Tagged ‘author’
Downtime
I did nothing last weekend. Nothing. And it was hard. I am fully serious when I say that. I’m not used to doing nothing. I kept jumping up,ready to do laundry or pay bills or check email or blog. For me, doing is a visceral thing. I’m a workaholic, but you may have already guessed…
Read MoreWhat makes for a good book discussion
My book group met Monday night, and I nearly didn’t go. I’m not big on war books, and Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken is that. Honestly? I wasn’t planning to read it. I don’t read much anyway when I’m deep into the writing of a book, and I’m about as deep into Sweet Salt Air as I…
Read MoreMy racy past
Type my name into Amazon, then sort by publication date, and you’ll find books of mine that you’ve never heard of. Take First, Best and Only. Originally published in 1986, a first-ever hardcover edition is coming in March. I didn’t know this until I checked the Amazon list myself, which is often the only way…
Read MoreHow to write a sex scene
I’ve written sex scenes, oh have I written sex scenes. I’ve written twelve-page ones, six-page ones, one-page ones. I’ve also written two-paragraph sex scenes, and they’re just as special as the longest of the long. The reason? It’s all about the feeling behind the sex. I came to this understanding through trial and error, so…
Read MoreStarting 2012 with a good book
I’m going to sound arrogant here, trusting that you all know me better than to believe it. But here is a truism about writers. Writers write the kinds of stories they like to read. So I started 2012 by rereading the first 125 pages of Sweet Salt Air. And it wasn’t only that I wanted…
Read MoreLife’s little surprises
I love unexpected pleasures. Some hit me in the face, others are more subtle. But each is a joy. Take this blog. I set out today to give an early December update of I write, I knit, I live. And then, tucked into each paragraph, came a little surprise, turning what might have been just…
Read MoreShould grammar matter?
So I’m working on SWEET SALT AIR, rereading Chapter 6 for the umpteenth time, and I pause on the following paragraph: “By Oliver Weeks?” Charlotte cut in. “Still? What a character. Major interview there.” Charlotte and Nicole are talking about ramekins that are hand-thrown by a ceramicist on Quinnipeague, but there is not one complete…
Read MoreHow to research a novel
In theory, since a novel is make-believe, the idea of doing research is oxymoronic. Isn’t it? No. I don’t think so either. I’ve always done research. Part of the appeal of my books is that readers buy into the story, so it has to be real. It used to be that real came from the…
Read MoreWorking weekends
Yes, we did have the baby here this weekend – and yes, it was fabulous – but I did work, just like I do most weekends. I never spend hours at it, just one or two right around dawn, in this case before the baby was even awake, and mostly I edited what I wrote…
Read MoreHow to describe a voice
Is it high, low, rough, smooth, creaky, musical, or child-like? Does it have an accent? Think about it. If you were describing the sound of your voice, what words would you use? What does your husband’s voice sound like? Your father’s? That of the little boy next door? And Brian Williams, on whose every word…
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