Creating a Story: Day 3
I’m sitting cramped in a corner of the library at the First Colony Inn in Nags Head, where all the photographers at John’s workshop are buzzing around me, working on their images. We’ve already checked out of our room, thus the reason I’m in the library. Not sure how much more work I’ll be able…
Read MoreCreating a Story: Day 2
I’m off to breakfast, but wanted to quickly catch you up on the second day of creating a story. Here’s what I did: I changed my mind about a couple of the Points of View, settling for now on four women, three of them thirty-nine/forty and one eighteen. I finished the character sketches. I named…
Read MoreCreating a Story
I’m working on the synopsis for a new book, so I thought I’d share the process with you. I hope this is especially helpful to you newbie writers, as well as of interest to readers who’d like a peek behind the scenes. First, a definition: a synopsis is generally a “selling tool” to show to an agent…
Read MoreWho Writes Like Me?
I’ve addressed this topic informally on my blog, but in the last few days, I’ve received four nearly identical emails from new readers, so I think it’s time to address the topic formally. Each reader spoke of discovering me with The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, and each went on to read Before the Storm. A…
Read MoreWhere There is No Doctor
I was surfing the web today (okay, I was reading political stuff. I’m addicted), when I saw a picture of two men reading a book. The cover of the book was familiar, and I zoomed in to see that they were reading one of the best friends a novelist could own: Where There is No…
Read MoreBeginning with the End
I started writing as a hobby when I was a hospital social worker a looong time ago (think typewriter and carbon paper. ugh). I thought that working on a novel, the idea for which I’d had in my mind from the time I was twelve years old, would be a fun pastime. After about six…
Read MoreSex and the Teenaged Reader
It’s time to revisit the topic of sensual scenes in fiction, but not for the usual “one of my readers is offended by graphic sex in my books” reason. A few days ago, I received a sincere and thoughtful email from a woman who recently discovered my books and is really enjoying them. She wishes she could share…
Read MoreAll in the Family
My family’s pretty talented, if I do say so myself. My parents were not very artistic. . . or even “into” the arts, so I’m not sure where our various passions came from, but they certainly do exist. I wanted to write from the time I was a kid, as did my younger brother Rob.…
Read MoreTopsail Island, After the Storm
One of my readers, Donna Moffett, just sent me these pictures taken by her husband Dick. They show the northern end of Topsail Island after the last spate of storms. This is the string of houses I wrote about in Before the Storm — fictionalizing them of course. It’s so scary to see how quickly…
Read MoreMissing the Reunion
Okay, the first thing I want to know is, how the heck did I ever get my hair so straight? I must have worked on it for hours and hours with the ol’ iron, ironing board, and soda can rollers. Last night was my high school reunion, and I couldn’t go. I really, really wanted to,…
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