Hand-drawn maps are life-savers. One of the most daunting parts of writing historical fiction based in times thousands of years in the past is a very limited public historical record. It’s one thing to recount history in a reference book. Something entirely different to create the intimate relationship to place required for a novel. I’ve…
When you are diagramming a scene, you can see the characters in it. Writing is an art steeped in the lyrical use of words (stunning revelation, I know). Figuring out the magical combination of phrases, nouns, verbs and a participle or two is something we as novelists fret over on a minute-by-minute basis. Jumping in today…
Women In History are still a novelty. Where are all the voices of irrepressible women throughout history? It’s a question I’ve asked out loud since I discovered the revolutionary art of Central and South America in my early 20s. After a very white, conservative American upbringing, I found my worldview leveled by them. Women such…
I love soundtracks. So, it seems natural that soundtracks for novels would be my thing. Let me tell you about it. My oldest daughter and I were crashed out on the couch the other night soaking up an extend dose of girl time. We’d picked Pitch Perfect because, well, the singing thing. We sing. In our house….