We’re all concerned about making our historical novels authentic. We research costumes, tools, and architecture. Yet all that effort can dissipate when the characters open their mouths, if their speech isn’t equally time-appropriate. But how can it be, when they are speaking Chinese or Medieval French or simply American English of the eighteenth century—rendered in “Modern”? Like Us Yet Not As we all know, dialogue can make or break a novel. It reveals the characters and their relationships; it can … Read More »

Whether we write fiction, poetry, history or news, we are creating a story. I began my writing career as a newspaper journalist and ended up writing history books. Some people have told me history is dull. With that in mind, I try to present information in a lively, insightful, and informative manner, while making the material relevant and easy to digest. While working in museums, I honed writing skills by preparing press releases, grant applications, handouts, craft instructions, job descriptions, … Read More »

Breaking up is hard to do, even with a story. Have you ever watched a movie and two-thirds of the way through wonder how in the world they’re going to end this story? Or read a novel and asked the same question? Let’s face it. Endings are hazardous terrain filled with landmines. Finishing with a flourish means avoiding unforeseen crevasses or loose gravel and leading our readers into a final landscape where the story ends well. So, the question—what makes … Read More »

I’ve heard of readers becoming upset when a character they like dies in a story. In a tragedy, characters will die and oftentimes suffer, too. I’m glad Shakespeare didn’t hesitate to let his characters kill each other. Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich made a deep impression on me years ago, and I still remember it. Ivan kind of had to die for that to be true. Tragic stories are serious, and often intense, and frequently end in the death … Read More »

Almost from the time we can hold a pencil (or hit a key these days), we are taught the “rules” of writing. Punctuation. The grammar forms of Standard English. Beginning. Middle. End. When we learn to write for the masses, we start hearing the word “craft” bandied about. Learning “craft” is related to the specifics for different forms of writing: journalism versus script-writing vs short story vs novel vs memoir vs creative non-fiction. Craft is the tools and techniques we … Read More »

Well, there’s no such thing and there shouldn’t be. A protagonist should always be imperfect. Here’s why I think that’s true. Perfection is fine in a saint. But most people aren’t saints and don’t want to read about them. They want heroes and heroines they can relate to, identify with, worry about, root for. That doesn’t mean your protagonist must be irredeemably inadequate. In fact, I think a good protagonist needs a special skill. My most recent hero is a … Read More »