“Matlock has a gift for telling what she calls ‘the secret lives of ordinary people.’”
~Detroit Free Press
Latest Posts
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What is Your Theme?
I just read, and re-read, Steven Pressfield’s latest post, The Difference Between Subject and Theme. I urge you to pop over and read it. It has proven a good reminder to me for my present novel in progress, as well as for looking at books I’ve written. My subject for The Loves of Ruby Dee…
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Book Recommendation: A Star for Mrs. Blake
What drew me to this book was the subject matter–the Gold Star Mothers from World War I. I remember my mother talking about Great-Grandmother Geneva being a ‘Gold Star Mother’, which meant she had gone on the government funded trip to France to see where her eldest son had died and was buried. The U.S.…
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My Divine Method and Madness of Writing
I’ve taken a look at my writing method lately. I write and edit as I go. Everyone says this is madness, that I ‘should’ not do this. I’ve tried not to do it, but I still do. This is one of those things that cannot be changed, so must be accepted, and once accepted, I…
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Book Recommendation: The Basket Maker’s Wife, by Cait London
I thoroughly enjoyed The Basket Maker’s Wife. The characters became very real to me, and this is my most ardent requirement. Characters are what keep me reading. This novel is filled with people I could like and love and really root for. Each night I looked forward to settling down in bed and reading, and…
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Gleanings: Pearls from Ruby Dee and William Zinsser
During my rewrites on The Loves of Ruby Dee, I discovered I wrote a lot about dying and living and loving. I didn’t know I knew all this stuff, but I guess I do listen to country music. I found some pearls of wisdom to chuckle over and think about. With some I noted the…
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Begin Writing With a Feeling
A friend of mine recently had an essay she had written critiqued by a creative writing professor. “This is a fine piece,” said the professor, “but I don’t know where you would sell it.” His objection to the piece was not so much that there was anything wrong with it, but that it would be…
“Matlock writes about generous people striving to live and love well. She does it beautifully.
~ Contra Costa Times
Curtiss Ann Matlock 