When I started writing my first book, I didn’t plot. I chose a time period I loved and imagined a dynamic, larger-than-life hero and a heroine who was a lot like me. Since it was a romance, I knew it ended up with them together and happy. But that was all I knew. About three…
Tag: writing process
A Score and More and Still Learning
I’ve been writing fiction for over twenty years, and this week I just figured out how I do it. For years, I’ve bemoaned my inability to plot. Back when I was required to provide my editor with a short synopsis in order to sell another book, I was always able to come up with something….
“Are You Taking This Seriously Enough?” Seriously?
Paul McCartney just turned 74 but he’s still not sure how to write a song. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you hear Macca on NPR’s All Songs Considered? Yes, one of the best songwriters of the last six decades or so says he still isn’t sure how it all works. If I was to sit down…
Finding Your Writing Pace
Authors often forget that professional writing is a two-pronged calling. First and foremost, writers write. It’s what defines us, and we do it whether or not we write for publication or for pleasure (or, as happens in many cases, both). There’s nothing wrong with writing as an avocation instead of a career – and some writers make a business…
An Afternoon With A Master
By Mary Gillgannon A few weeks ago, Nora Robert’s book Liar hit the top of the Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list. I was delighted by this news. Since I also write romance, it’s cool to see a romance writer make it to number one. The genre is often disparaged and sneered at, but there can be…