It's only hours before Christmas celebrations commence. Outside the wind is howling and the air is frigid, but the sun is shining. It feels like Christmas. An occasional burst of snow blows by, and all the trees brittled by ice are bending and swaying. It is the kind of day that inspires writers. Yesterday, as …
Books every serious writer should read …. and study
I just finished reading Daniel James Brown’s bestselling book The Boys in the Boat. I know I’ve read a really, really good book when there’s a kind of sadness when I get to the final page, and I close the book in awe of the writer’s ability to tell the story. I’ve long said that a book …
Continue reading Books every serious writer should read …. and study
The verdict is in …
I love using beta readers as I’m working on a book. They are so helpful, especially to counteract the very real tunnel vision that writers get when they’ve looked at a manuscript—stared at it incessantly—for months and months and months. This time around, I had several beta readers who were quite helpful. But the chief …
That ONE book …
Anyone who has read about the writing life of C.S. Lewis has, no doubt, come across his references to George MacDonald’s Phantastes. The book inspired Lewis like none other. He writes about how MacDonald's book opened his mind to the world of imagination, which he eventually came to understand was God-given and incredibly freeing. Recently—out of curiosity—I ordered …
When reviewers get it wrong …
I love reviews of my books. The good reviews are affirming. They tell me I've done something right and that a reader has enjoyed my books. Positive feedback is the ultimate prize for a writer. I deeply appreciate every reader who takes the time to write a review. But I also appreciate the not-so-good reviews …
A Thoreau moment …
I don't know about the rest of you, but I am tired of sitting at a computer screen, "talking" or "meeting" with friends and colleagues and "seeing" them in one dimension. Very, very tired. Recently, I had two back-to-back Zoom meetings totally 3 1/2 hours. (Zooming persists even in our somewhat post-COVID world because of its …
Writers and earbuds …
I've spent a lot of time walking on a track near my house this summer. It's been lovely to get out and move. Often I pass other walkers—and more times than not, they have earbuds stuck in their ears with heads down, ignoring everything going on around them. In fact, everywhere I go these days, …
And here it is …
For more than a decade I've tinkered with a book. The title has changed. The main characters' names have changed. The plot has changed. But finally, it is finished. Now, at long last, I've published it. And here it is ... FLEURINGALA, a novel that opens in Southwestern Virginia on the cusp of 1940, is …
Deadlines wooshing by …
As an writer, I'm accustomed to deadlines. They are a necessary evil of the publishing business. Usually, I'm fine with deadlines. Actually, I appreciate them. Deadlines help me manage my time and keep me on track. Writing a book is an exercise in determination and patience. To do it right, a writer must allow sufficient …
So I obsess …
Finishing a novel is a challenging task, one I've undertaken during the months of our corporate COVID-19 shutdown. My newest novel, Fleuringala, is now in the hands of my very able graphic designer Stephanie Pierce. She has designed a beautiful cover and, as I write this, she is formatting the interior for me. Writing a …
“Stop. Let me catch up!”
As a child I had a little red tricycle. I loved it. I rode around and around the cup-de-sac on the hilltop where I lived. I tried as hard as I could to keep up with the bigger kids, all on bicycles, but I never could. I remember yelling to them, "Stop. Let me catch …
Writers and earbuds…
I've spent a lot of time walking on a track near my house this summer. It's been lovely to get out and move. Often I pass other walkers—and more times than not, they have earbuds stuck in their ears with heads down, ignoring everything going on around them. In fact, everywhere I go these days, …
M.K.B. GRAHAM, author of CAIRNAERIE & FLEURINGALA 