The situation: Waldo appears in chapter three as a close personal friend of the protagonist. He has an epic encounter with the villain, saves the day and endears himself to a female protagonist. He then promptly disappears for the rest … Continue reading
Disclaimer: This is part of a series on being professional about the craft of writing no matter whether you’ve been published or not. My use of the word amateur is in the positive sense of doing something for love. Today … Continue reading
I recently read a manuscript in which two characters were described as being in a theater. A dialogue ensued and I visualized the duo sitting in the empty hall chatting. I was surprised when the writer mentioned someone nearby coughing. … Continue reading
I’m fascinated by beginnings. That is, the first words that fall into a reader’s brain when she opens up a book. Not all stories have evocative openings. I was bemused to find that some of my favorite novelists do not, … Continue reading
I found it difficult to start writing this. Normally it’s easy enough to talk about what’s happening in Australia. There’s always lots of talk about. It was a bit harder during the bushfires, because I didn’t want to talk about … Continue reading
In editing a piece of promotional work for someone, I was reminded again of the many similarities between writers, who tell fantastic stories for a living and have no intention that they be taken as fact, and “truthers” or conspiracy … Continue reading
I’ve got a writing exercise for ya.’ I’m hopeful it will put ideas into your head. It requires reverse engineering something, in this case, greeting cards. Those new any occasion cards with blank interiors are the best for this. Here’s … Continue reading
Some writers are just—more. More everything. More brilliant. More talented. More challenging, and more wickedly subversive. Ursula was all of those things, but even more than that, she was loved. I was her colleague in genre and here at Book … Continue reading
One of the things I love about the way the fantasy genre has evolved in the new millennium is how it plays with its tropes. Every genre has them, and cherishes them. Tropes are what make a genre what it … Continue reading
Today I offer the Author’s Note from the first book I wrote as Anne Rutherford, “The Opening Night Murder, ” where I address the issue of dramatic license in historical fiction. In my associations with other authors, often I’m drawn … Continue reading
