A lot has happened since I started writing novels fifteen years ago. Back then most writers considered New York publishers the only way to go, and the only way to be real authors. These days, writers are more realistic, myself included. A lot of us have become self-published authors, and are happy with that.
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Writing a Novel
I wrote this article in December 2004 for Happy Camp News. It is about how I got started writing novels.
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Hillbilly Elegy – Book Lady’s Review
I seem to have the same background as author J.D. Vance, but I’m a few generations removed. I’ve done research on Ancestry.com and discovered some great-great grandparents who came from places like Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, on our Scots-Irish family’s journey to the west coast. I was born in California. My mother and her parents were born in Oklahoma.
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The Unfinished Manuscript, How to Get to “The End”
It’s hard to get back into fiction writing after being away from it for a while. It takes only a brief lull, a sudden shock, or a simple distraction to move our minds away from the flow of words in our chosen fictional worlds; then we’re lost, [Read more…]
Ten Tips for New Writers
Ten tips for new writers of any genre…
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Songwriting Basics
A few basic songwriting issues and considerations, with emphasis on how songwriting is inspired, and how to connect to the listener’s heart.
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Plotting a Novel Through Character Development
A novel plot must have an intriguing beginning, a complex interior, and a satisfying finale, all this based on the inner development of a main character we can love and care deeply about — otherwise, why would anyone continue to read? [Read more…]
Online Writing Critique Groups – How to Start One
Every serious writer benefits from being in a writers’ critique group. It is not hard to create online writing critique groups. For me, they have been more effective for editing help, than groups that meet face-to-face.
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Shadow Over Avalon: A Sci-Fi Book Review
What are Nestines? What’s under Sanctuary? Who are Arthur’s parents? If you want to know, you’ll have to read Shadow Over Avalon, a futuristic Earth-based sci-fi fantasy novel by C.N. Lesley.
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Book Lady’s Reading List, 2016
What I read in 2016.
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Gelli Printing – A Book Review and the Art Experience
I learned about Gelli printing while watching videos on YouTube, and had to try it. I bought an 8×10 Gelli Arts monoprinting plate, and a beginner’s book to tell me more about how to use it.
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Pulling Down Strongholds by Derek Prince – A Book Review
I love Christian books with humor, and Derek Prince doesn’t disappoint. This non-fiction book is about spiritual warfare – not only recognizing and defending oneself against demons, but also, recognizing the “strong man” controlling us and our countries, and the “high places” causing problems in our lives.
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The Newbery Project
I’m a participant in The Newbery Project, a group collaboration blog with reviews by people who have agreed to read and review Newbery Medal winning books. The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association (ALA) for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature in the USA, the prior year.
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