Vintage Romantic Author
It’s something new in my life—people saying, “I’m reading your book.” What does that mean? Do they think I’m some sort of lunatic for letting people read what I write? Are they impressed I even wrote a book? I’m never quite sure how to respond. “Keep up the good work!” or, “Tell your friends!” I …
On to the nuts and bolts of my personal editing process. The first layer of editing happens after I’ve stepped away from my stories for a while so I can read them with a fresh eye. It’s always obvious my sentences are too wordy. I cut a lot of words out or substitute others. This …
It’s hard to find a good editor. My first experience proved disappointing and I haven’t had much luck since. If any business person is unresponsive and untimely, I’m not interested in an ongoing venture. If an editor is more interested in telling me what they don’t do, I start to wonder what they will do. …
Only rarely does a glib comment fall off my tongue. Recently, when a friend was having trouble finding the word she wanted to use, I explained that happens to me too. It’s why I’d rather write than talk! I understand a lot of people study for years before they attempt a novel. I know there …
There I sat with six “completed” novels and no idea how to proceed. A friend of mine told me about her old friend, a published author of six books, and offered to e-mail her on my behalf. I hoped she would agree to answer a few of my most important questions. Thankfully, she did. Author …
For some, writing is a lifelong obsession. It might be poetry or short stories, or simply committing their daily activities to a diary. For me, writing is a recently acquired passion. There were indications I might be headed down this road. I always enjoyed writing letters and e-mails. Through the years, a few friends commented …