I’ve never been a fan of romance stories. I don’t read them unless I’m required and I rarely watch romantic movies, even romantic comedies. Thus, I never thought I’d ever be the author of romance-themed stories. Nope, not me. Over the last seven years, in addition to all the non-fiction writing I do, I’ve penned…
Author: Ann Gordon
in medias res
The Latin phrase, in medias res, means “in the middle of things.” Some famous stories have been written with this technique. On the first page readers find themselves right in the middle of intrigue, disaster, war, crime—some heart-pounding situation—with nothing leading up to it, as if the reader just fell from the sky to land…
What I’ve Learned from Writing about Ghosts
Although I’ve never encountered one, the possibility of seeing or sensing a ghost has intrigued me since I was a child. After my father died, I could swear I’d just seen him on a crowded sidewalk. Or I’d think I recognized him in a store or on a street, talking to someone or briefly looking…
I’ll Keep Penning Short Reads
For years I’ve wondered how I’ll ever be considered a serious author if I can only complete short stories. I belong to several writing groups where most members proudly mention how many books they’ve published, or how close they are to finishing their second book, or their third, or their ninth. Wisely I don’t join the…
Helping your Readers Believe
According to Wikipedia, “Speculative fiction is a broad category of fiction with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, nature, or the present universe.” This brings me the heart of my article: How can authors get their readers to believe in a chimerical world that does not (and likely cannot) exist in reality?…