Monthly Archives: December 2017

The power of dialog

It’s unfair to highlight one aspect of writing, whether non-fiction or fiction (in any of its many flavors) when there are so many such factors to choose from. But one thing is certain, bad dialog can derail an otherwise good … Continue reading

Posted in Historical writing, Memoir, novel writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Do you need to take a research trip?

For many writers of historical fiction, the place they’re writing about is nowhere near the place where they live. And, unless they have a great deal of extra cash in their budget, going to those places will be difficult if … Continue reading

Posted in Historical writing, novel writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Details can make or break a story

Have you ever watched a movie where someone missed an obvious mistake? Maybe you saw a Roman soldier wearing a wristwatch in some sand and sandal epic, or there were high tension power lines on the horizon of a Civil … Continue reading

Posted in Historical writing, novel writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Historical fiction story starters

Every story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Ridiculously easy, no? The blueprint I use for my fiction breaks those parts down a bit more. In the beginning, there’s a person in a place with a problem. In … Continue reading

Posted in Historical writing, novel writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments