RSSCategory: On Writing

Telling the Truth: Memoir, Myth and Magical Realism

Telling the Truth: Memoir, Myth and Magical Realism

By Ann Batchelder Writing the truth has long been standard procedure for memoir authors. But truth is not fact. For every story, there might be several points of view. Memoir narrators assume readers understand that their book is one version of what happened. Still, it is the memoirist’s job to remain honest.  My memoir, Craving […]

August 4, 2024 | By | Reply More
On Writing I’m History…but do I repeat myself? by Lee Knapp

On Writing I’m History…but do I repeat myself? by Lee Knapp

By Lee Knapp Somewhere on my old MacBook Pro that ran on Snow Leopard OS are dozens of files from around 2009 entitled “Tucker Book,” where I sketched out a vague idea about my old high school being a microcosm of America itself. With my marriage in turmoil, in 2003 I returned to teach history there. I […]

August 2, 2024 | By | Reply More
AUGUST RECOMMENDED READS

AUGUST RECOMMENDED READS

The Summer of Love and Death (A Ford Family Mystery Book 3), Marcy McCreary “Refreshingly smart, witty, and sophisticated . . .” —Natalie Symons author of Lies in Bone, on The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon “Propulsive, addictive, with lush, visceral prose and richly-layered characters . . .” —May Cobb, author of My Summer Darlings, on The Murder of Madison […]

August 1, 2024 | By | Reply More
Finding Inspiration in Darkness: Cults, Characters, and Crafting Only the Guilty Survive

Finding Inspiration in Darkness: Cults, Characters, and Crafting Only the Guilty Survive

By Kate Robards When I sat down to work on my second thriller novel, I knew only one plot point: a teenager would go missing from a place called the Bird Haven, a wildlife sanctuary where she worked part-time after school. As a dedicated plotter, I finessed this idea through multiple iterations of outlines, but […]

August 1, 2024 | By | Reply More
July: Reading With Rochelle Weinstein

July: Reading With Rochelle Weinstein

Hello Readers & Friends, It’s been steamy hot around most of the country, but July was a great time to lose yourself in the pages of a good book. Here are the stories that got me through: some old, some new, French, memoir, and a summer splash. If you need a break from the world, […]

August 1, 2024 | By | Reply More
Authors Interviewing Characters: Lauren Thoman

Authors Interviewing Characters: Lauren Thoman

About You Shouldn’t Be Here:  Two strangers search for the truth behind bizarre occurrences no one else dares to discuss—only to discover that they’re connected by secrets that could destroy them both. A thrilling and twisty novel by the acclaimed author of the Mindy’s Book Studio pick I’ll Stop the World. When sixteen-year-old Angie Stewart […]

August 1, 2024 | By | Reply More
In It Together

In It Together

By Ona Gritz There is a moment I describe in my memoir when my deceased sister whispered a crucial detail into my ear. She had been gone for thirty years by then, brutally murdered along with her husband and infant son, and I had finally garnered the courage and compulsion to learn all I could […]

July 30, 2024 | By | 1 Reply More
Raising Awareness of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery through Fiction

Raising Awareness of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery through Fiction

by HELEN MATTHEWS Did you know that Tuesday 30 July is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons? This is an annual focus on human trafficking and modern slavery championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. We all need to know about this hideous crime so we can understand why it happens and […]

July 30, 2024 | By | Reply More
The Disappeared by Rebecca J. Sanford

The Disappeared by Rebecca J. Sanford

by Rebecca J. Sanford The year I met the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, the organization was celebrating its twenty-fifth year and I was a twenty-five-year-old graduate student conducting field research for my thesis in Argentina. I worked with the Archivo Biográfico Familiar de Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, an initiative founded in partnership […]

July 30, 2024 | By | Reply More
The Power of Travel by Suzanne Maggio

The Power of Travel by Suzanne Maggio

By Suzanne Maggio “Buen Camino,” I say as I approach the young man. His dark hair peaks out from below a large tan sunhat. The straps dangle well below his chin. His eyes are hidden behind inky sunglasses but he smiles when he turns to look at me. “Buen Camino,” he answers.  “My name is […]

July 29, 2024 | By | Reply More