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Why I Write About Music
In my book Memories of Jake, I introduce the reader to the elder of two brothers who served in Vietnam. The book is the first in “The Cameron Saga” and is about how the war affected the brothers and the people they love. My character Andrew Cameron is an artist. Yet music is vital to his very existence. Andrew listens to music as he paints; it inspires him. Music provides hope, comfort, and healing throughout his life, whatever challenges he must face. Music is part of the happiness he experiences. Jake, the younger brother and protagonist of Man with No Yesterdays, suffers severe retrograde amnesia in a helicopter accident, and…
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Interview with Author Carol Sveilich
Today, SDP author, Sahar Abdulaziz, is speaking with Carol Sveilich—an award-winning author and blogger featured in many newspaper articles and television reports. Carol, a recipient of the 1994 ABC News Leadership Award, has also been a counselor for over 20 years, conducting large community seminars and support services for people living with persistent health challenges and chronic pain. Sahar: First off, Carol Sveilich—major congratulations and blessings on your newest publication, Reflections From A Glass House: A Memoir of Mid-Century Modern Mayhem! I recently listened to your memoir on Audible, and what fun! The narrator’s execution of your story was brilliant, and I loved how she brought your account and…
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THE BOOK THAT ALMOST WASN’T
The fifth book I wrote, Memories of Jake, dealt with two brothers who served in Vietnam in the late 1960s-early 1970s, and the impact their service had on them and their families. Andrew, the older by two years, an artist and musician, enlisted from a sense of duty after his first year of college. His rakish younger brother Jacob, an athlete and ladies’ man, enlisted immediately after high school from a desire for adventure. During Jake’s time in Vietnam, where he served as a Green Beret, a helicopter crash resulted in severe retrograde amnesia. He could remember a great deal about the world, but almost nothing of his past life…
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The Unforeseen Impact of Book Reviews
Authors and book reviews, book reviews and authors—the never-ending entanglement of conflicting emotions, eliciting everything from exuberance, passion, and pleasure to sadness, fury, and sometimes humiliation. No author, no matter how well received, is safe from the biting sting of the disparaging critique. “The unflattering reviews are painful for short periods of time; the badly written ones are deeply, deeply insulting. That reviewer took no time to really read the book.” Toni Morrison The wide range of emotions generated by having your work and creativity publicly judged can make some authors cringe while others jump for joy. “For me, one of the most challenging aspects of being a published author…
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The Land of Lost Chapters
Recently, while sorting my writing folders, I stumbled across some very old works-in-progress. Cue me spending a morning reading unfinished stories and forgetting to do any work. I found stories I loved and a couple that, frankly, should be burned, digital or not. But in the process, I conceived this blog post about all the half-finished stories nearly every writer has hidden away somewhere. Continue reading this post on Kelly’s blog -> Kelly JensenWriter of love stories. Bibliophile. Gamer. Hiker. Cat herder. Waiting for the aliens. kellyjensenwrites.com/
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Writing Blocks
Like most writers, I enjoy talking about my craft. Much of my process is patched together with tips from friends, writers’ blogs, workshops, and books. So, it’s my hope, when I post an article like this, that my tips will help someone else refine their process—or at least give them something new to try. This post is about what I call Writing Blocks. When I first added the topic to my list, I tried to think of a clever way to tie my title into what is often considered a writer’s greatest nemesis, the dreaded block. Perhaps you’ve landed here thinking just that! If so, this post might help, because—for me—the easiest…
