by Susanne Dunlap | May 27, 2018 | Research
Writers of historical fiction consult many sources to try to get as complete a picture as possible of the time, place, customs, and characters in their novels. And primary sources are the gold standard when it comes to research. But there is a caveat, and that has to...
by Susanne Dunlap | Apr 1, 2018 | rewriting, Writing craft, Writing life
I wonder how many readers think that writers just sit down and pour out a story onto the page, that maybe with a few little edits and tweaks the story that first goes on the page is the one that ends up in the published book. Sometimes that’s the case....
by Susanne Dunlap | Feb 12, 2018 | Random thoughts, Research, Writing craft, Writing life
I firmly believe that 90% of writing is craft rather than art. But that ineffable 10%, the part that elevates a well-constructed, readable story to something more—where does that come from? Knowing how is just the beginning On an intellectual level, I know how a story...
by Susanne Dunlap | Jan 24, 2018 | Editing, Publishing business, Research, Soul searching, Writing life
I’ve had a remarkable week or so, the land of both truth and fiction. First, the fiction, because in many ways that’s easier and more predictable. My manuscript is going out to beta readers. Yay! Working title: The Adored. In some ways this novel has very...
by Susanne Dunlap | Jan 9, 2018 | Research, Writing craft, Writing life
One of the greatest challenges in writing any story is figuring out where it begins and where it ends—most writers know that all too well. What seems like the obvious beginning may not be, and the tidy ending might end up having to come unraveled in order to make the...
