Before there were computers and artificial intelligence, there were file cards. Writers producing nonfiction used the cards to organize their facts. Writers churning out vast quantities of genre fiction, such as a series of detective novels, also used cards and charts to vary plot lines. Because often they were paid little per book, these writers figuredContinue reading “Writing Shortcuts, A.I. and the Future of Creativity”
Category Archives: Literature Book Review
The Creature in the Basement and Other Secrets
Everyone loves a mystery. Whether it is locating something hidden or unveiling the true villain, when we read something, book or blog, we want to be entertained. I’ve always found animals to be very entertaining. I love to watch them and I love to interact with them. Animals, any sort of animal, can be aContinue reading “The Creature in the Basement and Other Secrets”
Four of My Favorite Books to Help you Become a Better Writer
I’m always challenging myself to try different approaches and learn from other writers.
Writers, Writing, and a Road Trip with Stephen King and Billy Summers
Road Trip. The night before we begin a long drive, stretching five hours or more; my husband and I select a book. I listen to books all the time, when I’m sorting laundry, putting away dishes, filing papers, and my tastes are varied and far-ranging. I read to learn and to expose myself to alternateContinue reading “Writers, Writing, and a Road Trip with Stephen King and Billy Summers”
Delta Blues Summer
How was your summer? A friend asks a seemingly innocuous question and then it hits me, summer is over. Fall—as soon as the air in Maryland begins to turn crisp—is about to commence. And how was my summer? I ask myself. Sort of okay, nothing bad, but disappointing, I think. The build up towards theContinue reading “Delta Blues Summer”
Writing About Unlikeable Characters: Household Words by Joan Silber
In the quest to find novels that focus on families, loss, and conflict by female Jewish authors, I recently discovered Joan Silber. In May, her novel, Secrets of Happiness, was reviewed by Joshua Ferris in the New York Times. Ferris refers Silber’s signature style as “the relay narrative” and this intrigued me because I likeContinue reading “Writing About Unlikeable Characters: Household Words by Joan Silber”
A Pandemic Distraction. Give a Book for Xmas. Nadja Maril’s Favorite 2020 Reads.
Novels can take you to another time and place, and with the Global Pandemic raging around me, I was delighted to take refuge within several that were located in exotic places and spanned multiple generations.
Challenging Romantic Love Tropes; Speculative Fiction Anthology Raises Money For Australian Wildfire Relief
Yes, it is true that I have a story included in the anthology, “Geometric Dilemma or Made for Each Other?” but I can also say that I had the opportunity to preview the entire magazine and I was impressed. Sixty stories and poems—over 120 pages of content for $3. Buy one for yourself and give one as a gift.
Waterborne, A Slow Trip Around a Small Planet
Waterborne and the story of Marguerite’s journey emphasizes the benefits of taking your time. Marguerite Welch and her husband Michael were in no rush to get to any particular place.
Nadja Maril, Writer & Author 