In my previous post, I choose Michael Ondaatje as a writer who makes me go “Wow!” because of the highly poetic nature of his writing. In this one, I’ll choose one of the greatest of the 19th Century writers – Charles Dickens. Dickens had nothing like the poetic flair of Ondaatje, but he has an… Continue Reading
Every superbly talented writer has the ability to make you go “Wow!” when you read their prose or poetry. They just do it in different ways; that is, superbly drawn characters, intricate plots, or indelible language, etc. In terms of language, one writer who definitely makes me go “Wow!” is Michael Ondjaatje in his 1992 novel… Continue Reading
After suffering for years from total writer’s block due to depression, my imagination was freed up when the then-new anti-depressants came on the market back in the Eighties. Prior to those years, I was able to write non-fiction easily, but couldn’t do fiction at all. Curiously, since those days, I’ve encountered a kind of reverse… Continue Reading
Cartooning and writing – what do they have to do with each other? Well, oddly enough, the two skills seemed to be linked in certain authors although no one really knows why. Examples are the humorist, James Thurber (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty) and the great novelist, John Updike (The Widows of Eastwick, etc.). In… Continue Reading
All of us are shaped by our physical characteristics. One characteristic, in particular, shaped me into a writer – myopia. As a child, I was extremely near-sighted and couldn’t engage in a lot of sports activities. Klutzes weren’t welcome at second base or beneath the basket. So, naturally, I took to reading books at an… Continue Reading
Like many writers (I assume), I listen to music while writing my novels. The type I listen to depends on the time of day. In the morning, I’ve already got caffeine in my coffee to fuel my efforts, so I listen to meditation/yoga/New Age music on Pandora to keep me soothed and focused on the… Continue Reading
Like many people, I tend to read murder mysteries for reasons other than the mystery itself. For example, I read Jonathan Kellerman for the psychological insight into his characters. I read Janet Evanovich for the humor. And when I want to try a mystery dripping with atmosphere, there’s only one author I turn to –… Continue Reading