I am a skeptic. Admittedly. I am not the one who jumps on bandwagons or who purchases the first iterations of a product. I always stand back and wait for the reviews. Always. And so it is with AI. I'm waiting to find out whether or not it's going to be a good thing or …
Tag: novelist
The perils of rabbit holes …
I'm taking a break momentarily. I have spent half of my day in a rabbit hole. Unsuccessfully so far, I might add. Rabbit holes—as anyone who has tackled deep research into history, particularly family history knows—rabbit holes are occupational hazards and can be maddeningly frustrating tasks AND amazing adventures. (When successful, they warrant a loud …
Writers of a feather …
I have always loved getting together with fellow writers and avid readers. I can almost always guarantee there will be an absence of small talk and chit chat. Authors and writers tend to think deeply, to converse engagingly, and to entertain interesting and unique perspectives. Nothing bores me more than mindless cocktail conversation (except ad-filled …
The ultimate review …
As the author of three historical novels, I’m always eager to know what readers think. I (like all writers) wait breathlessly for reviews. Now, however, I have received the ultimate review. I recently reconnected with a friend I had known when I was a teenager. Our fathers had worked together, and she and I graduated from the …
The unexpected fact checker …
While I was working on my latest novel, one set in the the Virginia Highlands—a mountainous region with soaring views and deep restful valleys—I had an unexpected fact checker. I had written in a late spring storm. As an earnest novelist, I am always cognizant of "verisimilitude"—the requirement that demands that everything in a book …
Readers are different …
A month or so ago, I published my third novel. As always , I did so with great trepidation and hope! Living with a novel for weeks, months, years provides an author with a deep and penetrating knowledge of the characters and their lives. In one respect, authors come to know them so well that …
The landing gear is down …
The hardest thing about writing a novel isn't the writing. It isn't even the editing. It's certainly not finding a suitable cover (that's fun!) The hardest part—undoubtedly—is letting it go and sending it out for the public to read. And that is just where I'm poised right now. I've been flying with and around this …
When I wanted to be famous …
Life has a marvelous way of training one to live. As the years sift through the proverbial hourglass, we sometimes forget that the pile of sand below the narrow neck grows—and the sand above diminishes. I find that interesting. Thought-provoking. What can that mean? I hope it means that each grain of sand is a …
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 …
A little trumpet fanfare, please …
I've hit it—the 100-books-sold mark for my novel, CAIRNAERIE. I am elated and enormously grateful for all those friends and acquaintances who have read it and shared it and reviewed it on Facebook and Goodreads. For a writer, having your work appreciated—even loved—is the epitome of success. Now begins the real work of finding new readers …
M.K.B. Graham 