Spotlight on…Lia Fairchild

Reviewer Cathy Speight

Lia Fairchild describes herself as ‘a native Californian who loves reading, writing, movies, and anything else related to the arts. She holds a B.A. degree in Journalism and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Her most enjoyable moments are spent with her family, traveling, spending time outdoors, or simply laughing and being together’.

Despite her busy schedule, she manages to find time to write and has written a novel – her first – In Search Of Lucy; short stories; and a series of short murder mystery stories called A Hint of Murder, which she has compiled into an anthology. Continue reading “Spotlight on…Lia Fairchild”

Ten Endings

I want to talk about endings. How important they are, obviously; but more because I simply want to share some of my favourites. A lazy post, in a way, but perhaps a fun or enjoyable one. I love a well-crafted passage of writing, wherever it occurs in a book, and most who love language would probably concur. Yet more satisfying and occasionally beautiful still are those final lines of a novel that both summon and summarize the themes and rhythms of the entire narrative in a handful of incredibly wrought, startling, sorrowful exquisite, elegiac sentences.

Some quotes stand alone, gorgeous synecdoches; others require the full context of the preceding novel. No matter. Beauty is beauty, and in my own writing I use these as perhaps unattainable benchmarks for how I want my language to develop and move throughout a piece. I say unattainable, because for me a sublime failure is still more interesting than a bland success. If I had written anything even approaching the brilliance of any of these, I might just retire happy… or not. Yeah, probably not. I offer these without commentary or void even of my usual lame attempts at humour. Savour them and please add your own favourites in the comments section.

(It ought to go without saying, really, but here there be spoilers!) Continue reading “Ten Endings”

Assume The Position: Stretches for Computer Users by Laurie Boris

Author Laurie Boris
Author Laurie Boris

We all have different styles, but one thing most writers have in common is that we plant our butts in our chairs for a heck of a long time. Sitting puts a lot of pressure on your spine, and typing can force you into positions that can ultimately lead to pain and injury. But what’s a writer—or anyone who spends nearly every waking hour in front of a computer—to do?

One of the best ways to avoid pain (aside from hiring an assistant to grab your brilliant prose out of thin air while you pace about, sipping martinis and admiring the garden) is to move and stretch frequently as you work. Continue reading “Assume The Position: Stretches for Computer Users by Laurie Boris”