A friend of mine recently recently recommended Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. It’s a great book (lots of “content” though so you’ll definitely want earphones if you’re listening to the audio). Brodesser-Akner used to work for GQ, so it’s like reading a really long GQ article. Her authorial voice reminded me of Nora Ephron, so while I absolutely recommend Fleishman is in Trouble, this month I thought I’d
I’ve been working on this post for over a month. Many drafts have gone into the bin and it’s taken me thousands of words to find the three I needed, and the three words aren’t even my own. They’re Neil Gaiman’s and they’re simply this; make good art. During this bizarre time in our history, we’re all being forced to change and adjust and find “a new normal”. The zeitgeist
I don’t know about you, but I could use a literary escape these days, and for me, that means mysteries! If you like Agatha Christie, you’ll like The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. Alfred Hitchcock said that mysteries are intellectual puzzles, and I agree. (I’m not likely to disagree with anything Hitchcock says about storytelling.) Really all stories, regardless of the genre, are puzzles that need to be solved. As
As I was thinking about how to frame this month’s post, I came across the following tweet from Roseanne Cash. Shakespeare also didn’t have laptops, central heating or electric lights. What he did have was free and easy access to his imagination. Kinda makes you think, doesn’t it? Many writers will use this period of self-isolation as a reason to avoid doing their work. That’s not what a professional writer’s
This month I’m recommending a book that was recommended to me by my friend and colleague, Leslie Watts. Leslie is also my editor. (Yes, even editors have editors!) Like the novel I’m currently writing, The Night Circus is a non-linear narrative that has multiple, interweaving storylines. So, Leslie suggested we study it to see how Erin Morgenstern used the technique. Leslie Watts and me at a recent Story Grid event
I’m always pressed for time at Christmas, but this past season seemed worse than usual. I ended up with a very small window in which to get my tree up and decorated. That meant I had to skip steps in order to speed up the process. I dragged the tree into the house without first letting it thaw and dry in the garage, and as I lay shivering underneath it with
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stories for women, by women, and about women