For inspiration, fascinating insight into how a master wordsmith works, and sheer delight, check out "The Writing Life: Draft #4" in the April 29 New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/04/29/130429fa_fact_mcphee
I have to say I don't really agree with him about using a thesaurus (he's agin it), though.
Beatrice Gormley
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On a Writer's MindI’ve been Nooked.December 28, 2012
"Nooked" is different from "nuked," but unnerving in its own way. First my husband gave me a Nook Tablet for Christmas. Then my daughter Katie kindly set up my B&N account, connected my email to the Nook, showed me how to download library e-books, and even made me a Nook "friend" so that (more…)
No words can express . . .December 17, 2012
My sorrow for all the innocent lives lost in Friday's tragedy, and my deep sympathy for the bereaved families and friends.
FAQ of the monthDecember 5, 2012
"Did you write a biography of Mitt Romney?" People ask me this because during the campaign of 2008, I wrote one bio of Barack Obama and one of John McCain. And during the campaign of 2000, I wrote one bio of Al Gore and one of George W. Bush. But this year, Simon & Schuster (my publisher) only (more…)
Loved Lincoln (movie)!December 3, 2012
From my research for Back to the Day Lincoln Was Shot and First Ladies: Women Who Called the White House Home, I have definite ideas about what Abe and Mary Lincoln were really like. It was thrilling to see my ideas come to life in the movie with Daniel DayLewis, (more…)
Holiday special!November 29, 2012
December only: 30% off Beatrice Gormley!
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookgorm Mail-Order Wings ebook only $1.99 More Fifth Grade Magic ebook only $1.99 The Ghastly Glasses ebook ebook only $1.99 Sky Guys to White Cat ebook only $1.99 The Writing LifeNovember 12, 2012
Don’t get the impression that the writing life is a bed of roses. It can be frustrating, disappointing—even dangerous. Like the time I dropped the Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary on my bare foot. Ow! The Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary must weigh 15 pounds. I was limping around for days.
Self-publishingDecember 2, 2010
Long before my first book was published, I learned that real writers never, ever, publish themselves. The only way to become a professional writer, everyone said, was for your work to be accepted by a mainstream publisher who would give you an advance and pay you royalties. “Self-publishing” meant that you (more…)
Why read classics?December 2, 2010
Every once in a while I get an impulse to read a classic novel. Last summer it was Huckleberry Finn; last month it was The Great Gatsby. It’s always rewarding. It’s always inspiring for my own writing. Not that I’m going to write about life on the (more…)
What am I reading now?June 1, 2010
I’ve been noticing mentions of Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried, about soldiers in the Vietnam War, for years now. But I was afraid it would be unbearably grim, so I didn’t read it. Finally this Memorial Day weekend I realized the book has become a classic (more…)
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Have You Read These Books?Fiction
A novel of Mary Magdalene
Was she a heartless slut--or a sensitive girl betrayed by those she trusted?
One moment Adara is a landowner's privileged daughter; the next, she's a slave in a foreign noble's palace.
Three kids from the present travel to 1912 to save the great ship.
Biography
The story of the first African-American president of the United States
Story of the author of Little Women.
The ruler of ancient Rome.
The courageous girl who became a brilliant scientist.
A heroine of early aviation.
All the presidents' wives, from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama.
Story of the author of the beloved Chronicles of Narnia.
A powerful black leader
The story of the author of the "Little House" books.
Fifth Grade Ebooks
Andrea orders wings through the mail--with a guarantee to fly.
Gretchen would do anything to be in the play . . .
Sequel to Fifth Grade Magic!
Chess tournament turned nightmare
Cats, friends, aliens: a hilarious mix!
What is a vratch? Richard doesn't know, but it's in danger . . . |