Category Archives: Writing Process
Literary Mood Board (adapted from Entertainment Weekly)
The January 2021 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine — yes, I still get the print copy — contains a short, pop-culture-y interview with Barack Obama, asking him about the things that sustained him while writing his recent book A Promised … Continue reading
Truth, Justice, and Video Games
The number of people who think they “know” what something is like from fictional portrayals is very high. Continue reading
Shakespeare’s Tropes
You know how I always say I don’t make resolutions because I can’t — don’t — won’t — keep them? Well, here we are again. I really wanted to take part in the Shakespeare 2020 project, reading all of Shakespeare’s … Continue reading
It’s a new year…again
Happy 2020! Or not. I’m struggling to wrap my head around this. I’m old enough to remember when the year 2000 was the far-off future. Far enough that Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001 novel and the film based on it were … Continue reading
Cover Reveal: Loving Beatrice
Loving Beatrice is coming your way in November. This second novel in my series Shakespeare’s Women Speak features Beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing. “Should I examine myself, change my ways, silence my tongue? Should I do as the princess … Continue reading
Plots and Subplots
On Friday night, I went with some friends to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival to see Twelfth Night (again) at the Mary Rippon outdoor theatre. We knew it was likely to rain — we’d seen the forecast — so we brought … Continue reading
Courage
Unless you’ve been living on top of a mountain for the past few years, you’ve probably heard about the Tony-award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton. In Hamilton, writer/composer/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda told the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton in hip-hop verse with a cast of … Continue reading
Setting: A Big Deal in Historical Fiction
One question I’ve been asked about FINDING KATE is why set the book in 1485 in England? Why the Wars of the Roses and the late middle ages? Why England at all? Shakespeare set “The Taming of the Shrew” in … Continue reading
Beginnings, Again
Oh no, she’s not really going to complain about beginnings again, is she? Oh yes, she is. Last time, writing FINDING KATE, I stressed about the beginning because Kate is, at the outset, perceived by people as a shrew. She’s abrasive, … Continue reading
A Writer's Notepad 