Ask the Author: Frances Maureen Richardson
Answered Questions (12)
Frances Maureen Richardson
I’m sorry. I don’t understand the context of the question.
Frances Maureen Richardson
Hi, Lily. I would love to have you do a review. Please tell me what I need to do at this point. I’m not sure how to proceed. Thank you.
Frances Maureen Richardson
I had a good friend in college, a lovely, gifted young woman, who one day dropped out of school, without telling anyone. She took everything personal with her and left nothing behind. Over the years other friends and I tried to locate her but never had any success. I have always wondered what happened to her.
Frances Maureen Richardson
Hi, Pat. I am a complete novice when it comes to tech. Directions for the Giveaway were helpful (from the Goodreads site). I spent some time putting my post together, first listing four abbreviated reviews of my novel, then a brief excerpt, then a synopsis. I don't know on how many sites one can list the Giveaway; I chose two. Goodreads Authors/Readers is probably where most respondents came from.
I noticed today that someone posted a Giveaway and mentioned that his copies would be autographed. I neglected to do that and think it's a nice idea.
Please let me know if I can help in any other way.
I noticed today that someone posted a Giveaway and mentioned that his copies would be autographed. I neglected to do that and think it's a nice idea.
Please let me know if I can help in any other way.
Frances Maureen Richardson
From the window I saw the last car disappear into the night, and felt safe. Then I heard the door close behind me.
Frances Maureen Richardson
I think the fictional world would be the Shire, from The Lord of the Rings, to live close to nature, with family and friends and good books, and all under God's care. It seems to me to be a kind of Eden.
Frances Maureen Richardson
Death Comes For The Archbishop, by Willa Cather
Mariette in Ecstasy, by Ron Hansen
A Stay Against Confusion, by Ron Hansen
Judas, by Amos Oz
A Tale of Light and Darkness, by Amos Oz
Matthew For Everyone, by N.T. Wright
David, the Divided Heart, by Rabbi David Wolpe
Mariette in Ecstasy, by Ron Hansen
A Stay Against Confusion, by Ron Hansen
Judas, by Amos Oz
A Tale of Light and Darkness, by Amos Oz
Matthew For Everyone, by N.T. Wright
David, the Divided Heart, by Rabbi David Wolpe
Frances Maureen Richardson
I've always been drawn to stories that deal with self-sacrifice and grapple with meaning. The Rwandan genocide in 1994 was the catalyst for my novel, Not All Of Me Is Dust.
Frances Maureen Richardson
I daydream a lot; I meditate, and visualize. There are certain artists whose work I value highly -- Velazquez, Caravaggio, J.M.W. Turner, for example -- certain histories I like to study, certain writers I find that can transport the reader. Maybe J.R.R. Tolkien's books don't affect everyone this way, but I find his work rich and wise and compelling. But I know the question also means where do you get your inspiration from, ultimately? That each writer has to discover for him or herself. It's highly individual and deeply interior, to my mind.
Frances Maureen Richardson
Find writers whose work you love -- the very best writers (life is short!) and study their work. What drew you to it? Are you intrigued by plot, attracted to character, fascinated by mood? Well, how did your favorite writers blueprint plot, address character, establish mood? And practice, practice, practice writing. Write something every day, no matter how trivial it may seem at the time. The only way to grow as a writer is to write.
Frances Maureen Richardson
Human beings are story-tellers. Years ago, a Russian submarine went down, and the entire crew was lost. When the sub was finally retrieved, those in the rescue party discovered that the doomed men of the crew had scratched personal accounts of their lives on the interior metal walls of the vessel. To tell their stories was a deep psychological and emotional need. So, we who dedicate our lives to telling stories have a high calling: to give a voice to human longing. I find this humbling and profoundly fulfilling.
Frances Maureen Richardson
I put my work aside for a while and immerse myself in other creative pursuits: studying nature or art, for example. And I read, the very best writers. I think a great deal of what we think of as writer's block is actually artistic depletion, so it's important to "fill up" again.
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