(Introducing guest blogger, Sydney Stevens a history writer who also publishes a daily blog about life in a small community. I hope my readers might enjoy a change of pace and meet a wonderful blogger. www.sydneyofoysterville.com) Yesterday my husband and I went with good friends on
A friend called me on a Sunday, responding to a birthday message I’d sent. As friends do, we caught up on each other’s lives and then made suggestions about books to read and movies to see. I recommend the films, August: Osage County and Blue Jasmine, both of which are films with
Writing a memoir is different from writing fiction. That may be obvious at first blush. Memoir deals with facts. Fiction has no obligation to the truth. Both tell a story, however. A memoir is about a real person. Fiction presents an avatar to stand for some aspect of the hu
This summer marks the third year of my free seminars* for writers, a series to be held at Another Read Through bookstore in Portland, Oregon. At the end of past sessions, I’ve noted people lingered in their chairs, completing their notes or talking to one another, the sm
The challenge in writing a daily blog is to stay balanced: to choose topics close to centers of interest my readers recognize, while providing enough novelty to prevent them from becoming bored. All writers face this delicate balance. Harry Potter put J. K. Rowling on the map. But w
Virtue isn’t always a blessing, no matter what the devout might think. Take humility, for example. That got me into trouble last week. I wrote a blog, tongue-in-cheek, about an email from my web designer. She was seeking information about the site. As she’d provided the de
Recently, I received an email from the person who designed my web page. “Caroline, is it possible for me to receive your blogs two or three times a week instead of one every day?” Can she? I don’t know. She created the site. Never mind, I understood what she wanted.
On Sunday, April 7, between 10 a.m. and noon, I’ll be the guest author at Jan’s Paperbacks in Beaverton, Oregon. I am mindful of the honor. Phillip Margolin is launching his new book there a few days prior. Being even remotely linked with a bestselling author always gives
On March 11, 1483, Charles VIII (the l’Affable) became king of France. Only a handful of historians will remember the fact. Far worse, to my thinking, is that a smaller number will note I published my first blog, March 24, 2010. Even so, I feel chuffed about the 9 year accom