Fiction writers notoriously complain about being distracted and frustrated by the amount of time they spend at their ‘day jobs.’ Many will not even read the work of other authors as this too can be distracting. Some will not travel or even leave their houses. So many things can be distracting and for me,… Continue Reading
Missing a day of writing makes me feel as if I am acting irresponsibly towards my characters. They need my daily input for their stories to be told. And, in the era of digital publishing, putting pen to paper is only the beginning of my responsibility. Once a story is written, it is up to… Continue Reading
When writing memoir or creative non-fiction, doubt will always linger when one has to rely on memory rather than documented facts. When I wrote a book of about the life of Amelia MacIntosh, a Southern, African-American woman who moved to New Jersey with my family at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, I could… Continue Reading
I just finished ‘To Rise Again at a Decent Hour’ by Joshua Harris, which is a fast read, sometimes compelling, sometimes funny and often thought provoking. It is not, however, a fair portrait of an atheist as it plays to the simplistic negative stereotypes often attributed by the religious right. The story is told from… Continue Reading
The more skill a writer has, the better he/she is able to manipulate an intended audience. This is a given. Creating personality, place, time, and event are all tools to manipulate readers so they can believe the action of characters and the outcome of stories. David Rhodes is a master of manipulation. His book Rock… Continue Reading
Book clubs, good book clubs, often provide me with insights about the experiences I have described in Small Moments: A Child’s Memories of the Civil Rights Movement. This has surprised me. As the author, I assumed I would be the one to give any ‘ah ha’ moments about the experiences of my childhood. But as… Continue Reading
I sent out an announcement today effectively stating that I am retired. The not-for-profit foundation I have been working for is closing at the end of the month and my job will no longer exist. So right now is probably a good time to catalogue whatever bitter-sweet reactions I have to this. SWEET There is… Continue Reading
One of the many wonderful things about writing fiction is doing enough research to make the story seem real. Most readers instantly recognize whether the details of time and place used for setting a story are described accurately. However, readers may not know, but a writer does that these same details are vital when developing… Continue Reading
The article written about ‘Jackie’ at UVA by Rolling Stone magazine underscores the importance of knowing the difference between reporting fact, using the genre of creative non-fiction to tell a story and fiction. If the article, A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA, was written as creative nonfiction and this… Continue Reading
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past,” wrote William Faulkner. This was never more true than as the events in Ferguson unfolded. While the debate continues about the validity of the actions of a single policeman, it has come to light that the police department as a whole is guilty of at the… Continue Reading