The Spoken Story
My near obsession for audio books evolved over the last few years. I think the three-year pandemic period may have spurred it. The habit started with random selections of my […]
Allegiance to Authors
Bestselling authors possess their own brand of celebrity. Book ratings and reviews can climb up to the thousand mark and beyond on websites like Goodreads, a subsidiary of Amazon. As
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Caring for Characters – Part 3
My last blog for 2023 at www.antheatpiscarik.com is Part 3 of “Caring for Characters” and focuses on character development. I’ll keep it short and, hopefully, memorable as we step forward
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Caring for Characters – Part 2
As a screenwriter and novelist, I’ve learned what convention states about bad writing, especially regarding characterization. In the script world, on-the-nose dialogue leaves little or no room for subtext while
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Caring for Characters – Part 1
I finish every book I start, whether I give it a thumbs up or down. At times, the reading becomes a test of endurance. But, as a writer, I’ve been
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The Heroine’s Journey
Many strong and memorable female heroines have emerged from the pages of books. My favorites include characters from a handful of 19th century authors namely Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott,
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The Femme Fatale
Recently, I read The Maltese Falcon by author Dashiell Hammett. In 1929, the story appeared as a serial in Black Mask magazine and published in book form the following year.
Sketching the Story
No book is easy to write, whether fiction or nonfiction. Story development, the critical component, can elude writers, especially in the formative stages. Ultimately, the characters, both biographical and fictional,
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Only Skin Deep
One of the most quoted phrases, if you will, includes a deleterious backstory that rivals any novelistic plot. Sir Thomas Overbury was a 17th century English poet and essayist. While
Banning of Books
For this year’s Goodreads Reading Challenge, I rediscovered a 20th century classic novel. If I’d read the Pulitzer Prize winner, To Kill a Mockingbird previously, I don’t recall doing so.