Box Office

Hadassah: One Night with the King

History has always fascinated me, and most especially, family history. In grade school, I went through a phase when all I read were biographies; in college, I spent quite a bit of time studying my ancestry. So recently, when the ladies at my church did a Bible study on lessons from the life of Esther, I was ecstatic. 

For Writers

The Art Of Snobservation

I’m a writer. That explains everything: Why I wear a bib to catch the drool whether I’m shopping in a stationery store or a fudge shop. Why I spend more money on books than on cleaning supplies. Or linens. Or non-research-related vacations.

It explains why I itch to edit the closed captioning at the bottom of the screen during the news. And why I take notes during movies...

Making A Scene

Ten Ways To Create Character Empathy

1. The character highly displays a valued trait such as loyalty, love, or courage. This is especially important if the protagonist soon makes a bad or questionable choice. It’s far easier to create empathy for a character right away than to erase negativity. Better to start at zero than minus ten. So before any negative choice, show the protagonist helping a child, tending a sick loved one, standing up to a bully for a friend, etc.

Author By Night

Most readers imagine authors pounding away uninterrupted at their computers for hours, and then taking long walks on the beach, city streets, or woodland trails for renewed inspiration. A writer’s life must be solitary, introspective, and perhaps a bit tragic. Although some writers probably enjoy that lifestyle, most of us juggle another job besides family and household responsibilities.