Give your readers a sense of who you are, lend credibility to your writing, and arouse interest in your work.
Author Archives: Aly Writes
There’s a Fist-Sized Hole in the Kitchen Window
It’s that kind of day where you pray for a whisper of a breeze to kiss the beads of sweat that sting your eyes. You don’t move a muscle, lying on the dock, fingers trailing in tepid water. The lump of a secret too huge to swallow grows in your throat until you think you’llContinue reading “There’s a Fist-Sized Hole in the Kitchen Window”
The Word is Murder (Anthony Horowitz)
As always, reading a book as well-written as this one is, for me, as much an education as it is entertainment. It informs my own writing in an invaluable way.
When the Singing’s Done
Through the boredom in the quiet
He’d start to softly sing.
Bumbleberry Buckle
This recipe will have you feeling like summer and ready for strawberry season, which is fast approaching.
Writing People with Depth
Above all else, the real key to writing people with depth is to persevere. Hone your craft by reading widely and becoming a keen observer of people. Write your people into scenes and scenarios you concoct, and let them reveal their character to you. It feels like a lot of work, but that’s what writing is . . .
Sunshine, Lollipops and Airport Delays
Terrence had never been one to just suck a lollipop. No sooner had he popped it in his mouth than his teeth were clamping down, chipping shards as sharp as glass.
The Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman)
The story is light-hearted, but the plot is intelligent enough to fulfill all your mystery expectations. Clever, modern, and charming, it ticks all the boxes, but from the novel perspective of an older and wiser cast.
When Life
When devastating changes happen
Unexpected
Unforeseen
Seize the happiness you have and hold it close
Learning Facts From Fiction
It is, admittedly, ironic to think of absorbing facts from works of fiction. But understanding human nature and our history without consuming the stories we tell would be impossible. So read books. Read difficult books. Read stories that make you uncomfortable, sad, uplifted, angry, triumphant, shocked, devastated, hopeful.
Aly Writes 