R.L. Herron's Blog, page 3

What is a Writer’s Ego?

Even when I was little, I dreamed of being an author. In 1965, the year I turned seventeen, I submitted my first short story, and I imagined myself being the next Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451). By the time I entered my twenties, I wanted to make people think of me as some sort of “great” […]

Ever Consider Writing a Memoir?

Photo Courtesy of Pexels I was talking to an old friend recently, and we were both having trouble remembering details from our high school years. Neither one of us could remember the name of our home room teacher. One of the comments made that had us both laughing was, “well, there goes the memoir.” But […]

Creative Interview

Today I’m not posting about my own books or commenting on the ins-and-outs of indie publishing. Instead, I’m interviewing a fascinating creative talent and former Michigan resident, Dale Johnson. Welcome to “Painting With Light,” Dale. Thank you. Glad to be here. You have a fascinating creative background. Can you tell us a little bit about […]

How Are You At The Fine Art Of Table Sitting?

What Waiting for Customers Can Feel Like (Photo Courtesy of Pexels) Most indie authors have attended a literary festival, or an organized book-signing. It’s an integral part of the way the book-selling game is played. I’ve gone to a lot of them, and I often think I’ve seen it all. For instance, I’ve seen writers […]

Do You Enjoy Settings?

Character. Plot. Setting. Of those three, which do you enjoy writing the most? For myself (and many writers I know), character usually takes the top spot. Humans connect with other humans, after all, so it’s often easier to invest oneself in characters and their conflicts. A place, though important, is a bit more difficult and, […]

Author Interview

Author, Anca Vlasopolos Today I’m not posting about my own books or commenting on the ins-and-outs of indie publishing. I’m interviewing the fascinating former Michigan author, Anca Vlasopolos. Welcome to “Painting With Light,” Anca. Thank you. Glad to be here! You have a fascinating but somewhat frightening background. Can you tell us a little bit […]

Writing Your Own Life Story

Photo Courtesy of Pexels I believe the wisdom and power to create real change lives not only in the experiences of leaders and community builders … but in the things that happen to everyday people all over the world. Each one of us has a story born from our life experience. We often forget, by […]

What’s Your Writing Voice?

I spent all day last Saturday at Michael Dwyer’s Rochester Writers’ Conference … the best one-day writing conference in the state (at least, to me it is). I’ve been to almost all of them … going back years. It was another day well spent (and it kept me out of the rain). Saw some good […]

A Writing Conference – Again?

Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan I’ve pointed it out before, and all of you who have been there know it’s true. Writing is often a solitary endeavor. But you don’t have go it alone. You can always do what I do … attend a writing conference, and meet some of the other members of that loquacious […]

What About Character Development?

I’ve talked about this a lot. Fiction writers all have the same goal … to transport their readers inside the pages so they feel like they’re walking along as a part of the story. Memorable characters are an extremely important part of making that happen. In fact, they should drive the story. Mine do it […]