Unless you write in secret and never show anyone your stories, sooner or later someone will give you feedback. It could be a relative or classmate, or the editor of the school literary magazine. Or friend with whom you’ve swapped … Continue reading
Auntie Deborah is back at her advice desk… If two authors want to collaborate on writing a novel, how much should each author contribute? Auntie Deborah: It all depends. There are so many different ways to do this. I’ve seen … Continue reading
Auntie Deborah is back at her advice desk… I’ve been told that as a new writer I should write what I know. How can I apply this to writing a historical novel? Auntie Deborah: First of all, that old saw … Continue reading
Elsewhere on the net, a talented new writer made a comment about the damaging effects of another person’s careless behavior. We can encounter destructive relationships in every area of our lives, but when it comes to our creativity, they can … Continue reading
World War II cast a long shadow, and my generation was born in the aftermath. Then the shadow burgeoned into a decades-long frenzy of terror of communism. The Soviet Union was the incarnation of evil, of course, and war was … Continue reading
“Don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous…” –Rumi As the year draws to a close, I reflect that it’s been, as Mark Twain put it, “One damned thing … Continue reading
It’s been an eventful year since Freya (one-eyed tortoiseshell tabby) and (Red) Sonja came to live with us, a year of Ringworm Wars, kitten endorphins, and unfolding adventures in friendship. Freya has gone from: a wee bitty thing… … Continue reading
Water Vapor Was Just Found on Europa Scientists have found evidence of plate tectonics on Jupiter’s moon Europa. This conceptual illustration of the subduction process (where one plate is forced under another) shows how a cold, brittle, outer portion of … Continue reading
For a number of years, I had the privilege of editing the anthology series, Lace and Blade. The concept was a certain flavor of elegant, romantic sword and sorcery, witty and stylized, sensual yet with plenty of swashbuckling action (think The … Continue reading
Dear Auntie Deborah: Help! My characters have gone amok and won’t follow the plot of my book! What can I do to whip them into shape? — A Frustrated Author Dear Frustrated: The short (but brutal) answer is that your characters … Continue reading
