I recently read, as perhaps many of you did as well, the article called, “How Has the MFA Changed the Contemporary Novel?”, which appeared in the March 6 edition of The Atlantic. The authors say right up front, “We wrote a program to analyze hundreds of works by authors with and without creative writing degrees. […]
I recently wrote a post over at The Wild Writers about preparing to revise a manuscript. Now that I’ve clawed my way out of revision hell, I have some further thoughts. It’s fine, perhaps essential, during the revision process, to use a favorite checklist. It may be one handed out at a conference or […]
Recently I discovered something about my writing routine purely by accident. Lately I’ve been working less and less with paper copies of my manuscripts. Over time, I had accumulated a huge number of pages–mostly of completed novels–with no space to store them. I couldn’t reuse or recycle them fast enough. Sound familiar? In the past, […]
Mystery. Romance. Aix-en-Provence. Le Français. Cézanne. What more could you want in one book? The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne, by M.L. Longworth, is the fifth installment in the Verlaque and Bonnet series. It entertains readers with all of the above, plus a cast of unforgettable characters. The mystery itself is set in motion with […]
Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience. (From Psychology Today) Have you ever tried […]
This has been a year of long books for me. Only three of them, but each in the 700-800 page category. I’ve finished two and put the third on hold. I can’t decide whether to abandon it or stick with it. I’d better make up my mind, because pretty soon I will have forgotten […]
A piece of advice writers hear frequently is to read in the genre in which you write. Sometimes it’s even, “Read ONLY in your genre.” I definitely take exception to that. Reading primarily in your genre is probably a good idea, but if we limit ourselves to that, we’re missing out not only on great […]
Let’s begin with Jane Austen. Especially Pride & Prejudice. Those of us who love Austen will never forget the first time we read it, and how we were captivated by the lively Elizabeth Bennet and arrogant Mr. Darcy. Oh, how foolish they both were! But it worked out in the end. 🙂 And forgive me, […]
Writing a sequel to an iconic book like Pride and Prejudice was intimidating. All my insecurities, self-doubts, and uncertainties rose to the surface. The voice of the inner critic rang in my ears louder than usual when I first began writing The Pursuit of Mary Bennet. “You’re trying to be Jane Austen? Are you crazy?” […]
In case I haven’t mentioned it…I have a new book coming out next month. November 26th, to be exact. THE PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET is my homage to Jane Austen, a sequel to the beloved PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, about Mary, the middle Bennet sister. I imagined a life for Mary beyond Austen’s rendering, one that […]