I was sitting on my grandfather's lap. I understood the part about getting the page you're reading done. Getting it done was exactly what I wanted him to do. Seven-year-old boys are not big on patience. Or poetry either. I was about to suggest we do the Three Little Pigs all over again. But when I craned my head to look up at him, I saw a tear forming in the corner of his eye.  Continue reading...

It all started with Erma Bombeck. As a young kid growing up in the Ozarks, most other boys my age were hunting, fishing, or playing baseball. They lined their rooms with posters of George Brett and Joe Montana, or, if they were a bit older, Farrah Fawcett. But I was obsessed with Erma.  Continue reading...

Wonder what makes a Hollywood writer tick? Check out these blogs for talk, tips and inspiration for writing for the silver screen and the tube:

Why We Write

The Artful Writer

Jane in Progress

Animation Writers

Owner of Wendy's

Beryl Singleton Bissell, whose Backstory we featured on Friday, is the author of the critically acclaimed The Scent of God. We asked her about the books that have most influenced her writing life. She graciously wrote us the following:

I am a huge lover of books and have many favorites, but for inspiration the following have had the greatest impact on my life as a writer.

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I was just a few weeks pregnant when I was hit with the idea for my newest book, Switchcraft. I was on the phone with my friend in New York, turning just a slight shade of green at the tales of her dating adventures. My life as an unfettered young woman was over and then I wondered what would happen if we switched lives?  Continue reading...

Check out these literary blogs for belles-lettres-related thoughts profound, serious, quirky and sometimes humorous:

Ready Steady Book blog

The Literary Saloon

Spurious

This Space