by Susanne | Mar 11, 2018 | Random thoughts, Soul searching, Writing craft, Writing life
I haven’t been to an art museum in quite a while. I used to go all the time. The only reason I went today was because there was such a long line at the Smith bulb show (my original destination). It’s not the Met or the MFA, but the Smith art museum—half a...
by Susanne | Feb 12, 2018 | Random thoughts, Research, Writing craft, Writing life
I firmly believe that 90% of writing is craft rather than art. But that ineffable 10%, the part that elevates a well-constructed, readable story to something more—where does that come from? Knowing how is just the beginning On an intellectual level, I know how a story...
by Susanne | Feb 2, 2018 | Editing, Writing life
How do you know when you’re finished? How do you know when it’s time to let go of your manuscript and send it out, either to beta readers or to your agent or to querying agents? Because let’s face it: every time you look at it you will find something you want to...
by Susanne | Jan 24, 2018 | Editing, Publishing business, Research, Soul searching, Writing life
I’ve had a remarkable week or so, the land of both truth and fiction. First, the fiction, because in many ways that’s easier and more predictable. My manuscript is going out to beta readers. Yay! Working title: The Adored. In some ways this novel has very...
by Susanne | Jan 9, 2018 | Research, Writing craft, Writing life
One of the greatest challenges in writing any story is figuring out where it begins and where it ends—most writers know that all too well. What seems like the obvious beginning may not be, and the tidy ending might end up having to come unraveled in order to make the...
by Susanne | Dec 26, 2017 | Writing life
It’s 6:39am. I’m at my laptop in perfect writing position, just as I’ve been every morning since November 1 (that’s 55 days) as I struggled to put together my first draft of this new WIP. I realized at about 2pm yesterday that I’d...