I have quite the corral of short stories with word counts ranging from 1,500 to 10,000. Some of my friends have suggested I expand a few of my stories to 70,000 or even 90,000 words. In other words, turn the stories into novels. At first this sounds like a great prospect because a novel has…
When I tell people I’m a writer, they are often impressed I can put the words together to write a whole book. Or, amazed I can create characters and come up with plots. But they don’t realize how brave I am. How bold and daring. Because that is a huge part of being a writer….
Come fly away with me. (I’ve always wanted to say that. Or write that.) To Ireland. Next summer. I’ve been invited to teach for a week with Ireland Writer Tours. My co-instructor will be a fabulous literary agent, Moe Ferrara, with BookEnds. One week—and only a dozen writers in the entire group. Intimate? Personal? Yes…
By Susan Schooleman Ever notice how at the beginning of so many books all the good, sweet, motherly mothers die? The narrator of my short story, And Now a Word from Bambi’s Mother, makes this observation over margaritas in an Italian-Mexican hybrid restaurant. One too many margaritas, it turns out. She ends up dying in…
After the elation of signing two book contracts in 30 days, in the middle of COVID, I was brought very resoundingly back to earth when I got the first manuscript back from the editor. Thud. Ouch. I went through four rounds of edits with my first traditionally published book, An Unsinkable Love, several years ago,…