Do you need reminding that writing is a difficult business? That there is no guarantee of success – at least the success measured by successful publication and a steady rise […]
In my early twenties, I fell in love with Mordecai Richler’s Joshua Shapiro, the protagonist from his novel, Joshua Then and Now, and spent years searching for someone just like […]
Ever wanted to write a memoir? Thought of telling your life story? Wondered how memoir writers find the courage, or how they craft a compelling story from their life experiences? […]
I’d like to talk about the bad guys today – the enemies your hero encounters over the course of his journey. Of course, not every story features characters who qualify […]
Joanne Hichens lost first her mother, then in quick succession, her husband, her father, and her mother-in-law – two deaths anticipated, two coming as the worst kind of shock. In […]
We might read novels for the stories they tell – but often it’s the characters in them that linger. And so it’s worth pondering some of the most memorable of […]
“Every human situation, every sort of meeting or conversation, is something you have read before or know by heart. But then here comes a story – maybe only a couple […]
Before I left for therapy every week, my ex used to tell me, “Enjoy!” One day I laughed and told him, “Love, therapy isn’t exactly enjoyable.” After that he started […]
I’ve always been fascinated by the relationship between readers and writers; and by the implicit contract entered into between a reader and the book – and hence the writer of […]
I recently spent a delightful hour chatting about all things writing with Tony Park, best-selling author of 18 novels set in Africa, and six non-fiction works. Our virtual Masterclass was […]