Category: Literary Thoughts

In an interview, a lighting designer described three “tudes” necessary for the job: attitude, aptitude, fortitude. I added five more for the eight tudes essential to being a writer. In alphabetical order (they are of equal importance, albeit at different stages of the creative process): Attitude (thinking of yourself as a writer) // Aptitude (knowing your craft) // Beatitude (the blessing of a creative mind) // Certitude (confidence in the worth of your idea) // Exactitude (seeking the precise word or phrase) // Fortitude (butt-to-the-chair persistence in the face of rejection) // Gratitude (for the gift of writing in your life) // Latitude (to write “shitty first [or more] drafts”). (See REFLECTIONS for more thoughts about writing.)

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When I write historical fiction, I keep the focus on the characters. The settings and events around them frame the narrative, but readers must care about the people experiencing them. This is equally true of engaging contemporary or futuristic fiction. Good fiction writers relegate their research, however fascinating it may be to us, to the background of the tale. Whenever something I learn about history motivates me to write about it, I first ask myself “What is the story I want to tell? Who is it about? How do the players act and how are they acted upon?” Answering these questions is how I bring history to life in my fiction. Read more of my thoughts about the art and craft of writing in REFLECTIONS.