Maggie Clare's Blog, page 5

End Before Beginning

Dear Maggie,

Do you know how your books will end before you start writing them?

Sincerely,

Reader in Raleigh

Dear Reader,

With romance stories, one key ingredient is the happily-ever-after, or at least the happily-for-now, ending. Readers expect this, and I want to deliver. Of course, I write romantic suspense, and the suspense part requires some danger, intrigue, mystery, and nail-biting first. I tend to put my characters through the ringer before they get to ride off into the sunset, but hopefu...

One Good Writing Day

If you’ve been following me here, or on my other blog Five Things, for a while, you’ve probably heard me complain a time or two about being in a creative slump. It’s an uncomfortable spot, especially when I have big publishing aspirations for the rest of the year, but I’m pleased to tell you, I had a really good writing day yesterday. What does that look like for me, you might wonder? Well, it’s about more than hitting a particular word count. When I have a good writing day, I feel immersed in m...

Why I Write

We are currently in Portland, Oregon until the end of the month. Our daughter goes to school here so we’ve been able to spend some quality time with her and her college friends. Last night, at dinner, one of the kids asked me why I wrote. He’s a poet, so his question was a bit deeper than the usual ‘how did you get started writing?’ or ‘what inspired this particular book?’ He was really asking the question I think most artists ask themselves – why do we create?

Art happens through words, music, ...

It’s an Adventure!

Years ago, when I was just a baby writer, I started a blog to help build a reader base and to get my name out there before I released my first book. I hoped people would be interested enough to follow my posts, and that they’d enjoy my writing style enough to take a chance on me. Blogging, of course, is a different animal entirely from fiction writing, but it was, and still is, a good habit and a way for me to keep in touch with my loyal readers.

Authors often talk about ‘voice’ in their writing...

Back to School

Fall is my favorite writing season. I’m not sure if it’s the ‘back to school’ feeling in the air, the actual cooler air, or something else, but I’m generally motivated, purposeful, and energized when autumn rolls around. September may signal the end of summer, but it always feels like a new beginning to me. Maybe it’s because I was one of those kids who always looked forward to going back to school. Don’t get me wrong, you couldn’t pay me to go back to high school, but I’ve always loved standing...

Wedding Bells!

I missed last week’s ‘Five Things’ blog over on my Tabitha Lord Author website because it was WEDDING WEEKEND, so I decided to double post it here. Next week, we’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming!

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and mis...

I Don’t Suck, I’m Just Stuck… and other things I tell myself when I’m not writing.

The concept of writer’s block gets a lot of attention. I’ve written numerous articles and moderated fun panels with titles like, ‘You Don’t Suck, You’re Just Stuck!’ If you’ve been writing long enough, eventually you’ll find yourself spinning your wheels, stuck in the muck, or staring at your keyboard like a deer in the headlights. I’m full of descriptive metaphors this morning, but I am also struggling with my newest book.

First off, it’s summertime, and summertime is my least productive writin...

Who’s Next?

Everything in the writing world, rather like construction projects, seems to take much longer than planned. I’d intended to get back to the TSI series months ago, but I got sidetracked writing a fantasy novel, and to be honest, I’ve also been caught up in our new nomadic life. Learning to be creative and productive with a schedule that changes every week, and trying to find balance between work and play when there is just so much to see, has been a bit of a challenge. But, I’m getting the hang o...

Making Magic

My first writing projects were science fiction, and I enjoy so many things about writing in that genre. I love imagining futuristic technology, I love tackling real world issues in otherworldly settings, I love thinking through big, action-filled plots, and I love how this space allows my imagination to run wild.

Recently, I’ve wanted to dive into the fantasy side of things. Dragons, magic, and monsters have been on my mind as I write my newest novel, and it’s a ton of fun. Science fiction and f...

Setting the Scene

Ray and I have visited a bunch of National Parks on our nomadic adventure, and I have to say, they are spectacular! Each one showcases something amazing about planet Earth. From Carlsbad Caverns to Rocky Mountain National Park to Bandelier to Great Sand Dunes to Dinosaur National Monument, we’ve been well and truly wowed.

The writer in me can’t help but soak up these almost otherworldly places and somehow work them into my stories.

I’ve used real world settings to help inspire me in the past. F...