Maggie Clare's Blog, page 3

Raining Cats and Dogs

Dear Maggie,

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

Sincerely,

Pet Lover in Petaluma

Dear Pet Lover,

I am an equal opportunity pet lover. My husband will occasionally remind me that we live in a tiny, moving home with five animals. “Babe, we have a lot of pets,” he’ll say helpfully. Most days he’s fine with this, but when I’m away and he has to get everyone’s breakfast ready as soon as the sun rises, he files his complaint with management. But generally, living with our sweet little friends makes us ...

Gratitude Is My Attitude

Dear Readers,

The unique thing about Thanksgiving, as far as holidays go, is that it’s only about food, friends, family, and gratitude. With a grateful heart, I want to thank you for reading my stories, for reaching out to tell me you enjoyed them, for stopping by my table at a signing, for sending me a quick note or leaving a review. It means everything to me. Happy Thanksgiving!

...

Is Writer’s Block Real?

Dear Maggie,

Do you ever get writer’s block? Is that a real thing? If yes, how do you work past it?

Sincerely,

Stuck in St. Pete

Dear Stuck,

Oh, what a good question! Now that I’m in school, and we are racing from one project to another, my creative brain is functioning in high gear, like, all the time. I find that when I’m drafting a novel or short story, that’s the time when all the new ideas flow. I think it’s because I’m in the zone, if you know what I mean? But your question is about writer’s bl...

Where in the World?

Dear Maggie,

Where in the world are you these days? Are you still having fun on your travels? Are you doing a lot of writing?

Sincerely,

A Wanderer from Wichita

Dear Wanderer,

Yes, we are still having fun traipsing around the country! I can’t believe it’s been almost two years since our adventure began. We’re currently back in New Mexico and heading toward Palm Springs for the winter. We really love New Mexico. The first time here we hit Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell (of course), Albuquerque, and Santa ...

Romance Tropes Resonate

Dear Maggie,

What favorite tropes do you like to use in your romance writing? Why do you think tropes are so much fun?

Sincerely,

Curious in Carmel

Dear Curious,

First off, for those readers unfamiliar with the idea of a trope, I lifted this definition from dictionary.com: A trope is “a convention or device that establishes a predictable or stereotypical representation of a character, setting, or scenario in a creative work.” Some familiar tropes in romance include second-chance love, age gap, bodygu...

Short Fiction Fun

Dear Maggie,

How is school going? What are you working on?

Sincerely,

Reader in Redding

Dear Reader,

School is amazing! It’s a ton of work, but it’s really helping me stretch as a writer, and the writing community is smart, driven, supportive, and talented. There’s no rest for the weary in this program, though. Once one project is finished, we’re straight on to the next one. I’m reading a novel per week, participating in several obligatory discussion board assignments, and writing one short story per...

It’s Pumpkin Spice Season!

Dear Maggie,

What is your most productive time of year to write?

Sincerely,

Sluggish in Salt Lake

Dear Sluggish,

As much as I love the sunshine and longer days of summer, I have to be honest, my productivity goes way down. As soon as I feel that crisp fall air take hold, though, I’m ready to dig back into my writing. Now that September is here, and the official start of fall is right around the corner, I say, bring on the apple pies and pumpkin spice!

During the month of September, I always feel a ...

An Extrovert in an Introvert’s World

Dear Maggie,

I hear writers are mainly introverts. Would you describe yourself as an introvert or an extrovert?

Sincerely,

Chatty in Chattanooga

Dear Chatty,

I’m a total extrovert. Here’s how I know… I love airport bars, and I’ll talk to anyone who sits next to me. I love teaching in a full classroom and leading a meeting. I love to meet fans and readers at book signings. I’m definitely a people person. I think it’s why I prefer a yoga class rather than working out at the gym with my earbuds in, and...

I’m in class…

Hello Friends!

My residency started this week, and I am currently in Gunnison, Colorado with an amazing group of students and instructors from the MFA program. We are working hard, learning so much, building our community, and having a ton of fun. I’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming next month! Until then, please feel free to send your questions to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll answer them here on the blog. Also, please enjoy these photos of my cute cats and of Western Colora...

A Romantic at Heart

Dear Maggie,

Aren’t you a science fiction writer? Why did you decide to write romance novels?

Sincerely,

A Romantic in Red Oak

Dear Romantic,

If we’re being honest, I bet we all remember sneaking off with our mom’s bodice ripper romance novels and dog earring ‘those scenes’ to read over and over again, or maybe that’s just me? Sexy scenes are fun to read, and they’re really fun to write. My husband sure appreciates it when I ask him to proof a particularly steamy scene I’ve written!

Sexy stuff aside,...