If you’re a writer, do you write about the things you love doing?
If you’re a reader, do you gravitate toward novels with themes/settings/characters that share your interests?
Author: Tracey Richardson
Tracey Richardson has had several novels published by Bella Books, two of which were Lambda Literary Awards finalists. Semi-retired now from a long-time journalism career, Tracey spends as much time writing and reading as her two demanding chocolate Labrador retrievers will allow. She also enjoys playing hockey, golf, and occasionally teaches fiction writing. History, politics and time travel are among her more exotic reading material. www.traceyrichardson.net; Twitter @trich7117.
Don’t Discount the Importance of Luck
I accomplished something rare not long ago: a hole in one.
Golfers out there understand how hard these are to come by, and for the rest of you, well, how about this for odds – insurance actuaries calculate the chances of an average golfer scoring an ace at 12,500 to one.
I’m a decent golfer, but certainly no star in the making. My handicap is low 20s and my average score for a round of 18 holes is low to mid-90s. So my first ever ace this summer wasn’t a complete shot in the dark, but it wasn’t something I ever realistically expected either.
The best book launch ever!
I had a book launch in Owen Sound recently for my newest Bella Books lesbian romance novel, “The Song In My Heart.”
And it was fun. My songwriter/collaborator, Elaine Dark, gave a spirited and talented performance. She sang five songs, including three or four of her own originals. We had cake, we had stuff to give away (what’s not to like about free stuff and cake!), I signed lots of books that people generously bought. Oh and I read part of a chapter too (excruciating as that part often is for me!).
No Finish Line For Writers
We never stop learning.
That seems to be one of the basic tenets of being human (for most of us hopefully!), but when it comes to writing and being a writer, it’s a truism.
For something that seems so self-evident, I have and continue (amazingly enough) to come across writers who think they’ve already learned what they need to know about writing. Read more
Help! (Ok, not really) … I’m addicted to books!
My name is Tracey and I’m a book addict.
There. I’ve said it. Although anyone who knows me well is not surprised by this confession.
My book addiction (buying, reading… and writing, but that’s a different topic) has been in my blood since childhood. From the first time I began earning allowance, as a matter of fact, but after candy purchases. Candy almost always came ahead of books, but one had to have something to snack on while consuming all those books.
Read more
Research — Love It or Hate It But Do It!
By Tracey Richardson
I’m a research nerd. I don’t love it as much as writing, but it’s a close second. It’s one of the reasons I choose such a wide range of settings and characters in my novels. I’ve written about soldiers in war zones, gamblers in Vegas, musicians on a festival circuit, doctors trying to save a life.
And while I didn’t visit a war zone as part of my research or start playing doctor on “patients”, I did learn how to play a pretty mean game of blackjack and am learning how to play the guitar.
Read more