Broken Halo When a young woman who doesn’t yet know herself gives away her power to another, hell surely cometh. I came into this world foot first. War loomed in the distance, the countdown to Pearl Harbor already in motion on the day I fought my way out, my heels dug into the walls of…
Introduction “Our birthright is to speak our truth cleanly, clearly, safely, and without hesitation or offense.” HAVE YOU EVER… … been asked what you wanted out of life, and you hadn’t a clue? … say something you didn’t mean? … mean something you didn’t say? … can’t find the right words to say it? ……
Oh, I’ve read male protagonist fiction lots of times. And they’re good, oh yes. I don’t mean to take away anything from their writing. However, as a female who has read many more books than she can count, there’s just something I prefer about a female protagonist. For one, I’ve been a female for over…
Giving Our Characters Substance & Dimension “Honest writing cannot be separated from the person who wrote it.” – Carl Jung We, writers, create the best characters when we know ourselves—the depth of ourselves—and tap into that depth when we write, using all our senses. Writers often have trouble creating believable, unusual characters. Instead, we…
If I Tell You A Hen Dips Snuff… If I tell you a hen dips snuff, you better look under her tongue! The same holds true when I tell you that marketing historical fiction can be fun. Truthfully, marketing any genre is difficult and time-consuming work. So my philosophy is that we might…
Thin Places Places, locations, and experiences, sometimes outside ourselves, then others, deep down inside our gut. Places that inspire reverence even though the place or event, or feeling may not seem overly spiritual. Yet it inspires reverence even though the place or event, or feeling may not seem overly spiritual. I have carried a…
Not Just Setting But Sense Of Place Influences My Writing My Sidra Smart mystery series is set in Orange, a small Southeast Texas town said to carry its own gravity. You either get out early or you don’t get out at all. I got out early—shortly after high school—and that was many years ago. When…
Writing Character From Inside Out “Honest writing cannot be separated from the person who wrote it.” – Carl Jung This afternoon we focus on character. We will do hands-on writing exercises that guide us to create characters from real life and circumstance; who show who they are by what they say and do, with individual…
Falling in Love All Over Again The best we figure, the Scots-Irish Dickey clan moved to Orange, Texas, in 1917. The lot of them loaded up and moved to the area from Thorndale, in Milam County. The women and children took the train while the men loaded their belongings on wagons and trekked across the…