I've thought a lot about the creative process and I have often likened it to an artesian well. For those non-geologists, an artesian well is a natural well that bubbles up out of the ground under its own pressure. It is usually free flowing and often overflowing. Sounds like the creative process, doesn't it? Unlike …
Tag: mkbgraham
Finding your voice as a writer …
Any accomplished singer will tell you that a voice over time matures, blossoms, and eventually settles into a distinct and recognizable vocal signature unique to an individual. In the art world, this principle is even easier to understand when one examines the early works of a famous artist and compares that body of work to …
A chill in the air ….
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
M.K.B. GRAHAM, author of CAIRNAERIE & FLEURINGALA 