Blogging, Books, History, Life, Literature, The Bannisters, Writing

Six Sentence Sunday

It is a great idea. You know: the six sentence Sunday. I have read great six sentence Sunday posts by favorite bloggers, such as Jennifer M. Eaton or The View Outside. Inspired, I thought I would take part this week. I look for ways to share pieces of my writing related to Sons of the… Continue reading Six Sentence Sunday

Blogging, Books, Education, Family, History, Life, Literature, The Bannisters, Writing

Why We Need to Pay Attention to Men and Boys

JD Bannister wants attention. Not just anyone's attention. He needs his father to care. In the opinion of my character, Andrew Bannister, his son has everything. He provides JD with a big house, playroom, and expensive toys and clothes. A main character in the manuscript, Sons of the Edisto, JD experiences another kind of desertion.… Continue reading Why We Need to Pay Attention to Men and Boys

Books, Family, Life, Literature, Poetry, Writing

Write it Honest

Take up the pages. They belong to you. It does not matter what the subject is. The matter belongs to you, too. Since the last week in July, my schedule has been abnormal. I chose to take one month off from writing to take time with the boys, John and Charles, and to train for a… Continue reading Write it Honest

Blogging, Books, Family, Life, Literature, Photography, Travel, Writing

Coming Back – What Does it Mean to Return Home?

I am back. Back from road tripping and one week of training for a new job. I return to the keyboard, as I have many times before, to write. Ideas came to mind as I drove past peach trees and a restored house constructed either in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century.  New peach… Continue reading Coming Back – What Does it Mean to Return Home?

Blogging, Books, Life, Literature, Writing

What Writers Learn

What Writers Learn "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Not true. Words hurt. They sting. Writers hurt more when they receive a message via text, email or phone that their work is not wanted.What writers learn depends on what they are willing to take away from their experience… Continue reading What Writers Learn

Blogging, Books, Education, Life, Literature, Writing

From Some Other Beginning’s End — The Last Chapter

Pitch black dominates the room. Five thirty in the morning. You have one more chapter to write. "I thought you were getting back into your schedule," someone says. In a teenager's groan of just ten more minutes, you roll over. The early mornings and the last chapter of your manuscript present a challenge whether you're… Continue reading From Some Other Beginning’s End — The Last Chapter

Blogging, Books, Education, Life, Literature, Poetry, Writing

When Naming Names

By Rebecca T. Dickinson One of the most common conversations I've had with writers and friends lately is: What do I do about names in my book? or Can writers name real people in their books? The conversation crosses the road from creative art to business. I know few writers who want to discuss the… Continue reading When Naming Names

Blogging, Books, Family, History, Life, Literature, Poetry, Writing

Runs in the Family: Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls

By Rebecca T. Dickinson “We all look around until we come to my mother, who has not said a word since the men entered our home. I see hardness in her I’ve never seen before. Maybe we’re all like that with our mothers. They seem ordinary until one day they’re extraordinary.” (p. 58)    … Continue reading Runs in the Family: Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls

Blogging, Books, History, Literature, Poetry, Writing

No, We Can’t Go Out Again

By Rebecca T. Dickinson You want to give it a chance. There is no reason why you should not. You've been interested for a long time. When dating, you meet the person you think—for whatever reason—the two of you should go out. You go on the date with the girl or guy, and you discover… Continue reading No, We Can’t Go Out Again

Books, Food, History, Life, Literature, Politics, The Bannisters, Writing

The Aftermath

PART III of the Bannister Histories By R.T. Dickinson July 1876, Bamberg, South Carolina Men on dust streets walked past stores, restaurants, and banks with green awnings. They spoke in hushed voices about when Union Army occupiers would leave. Soldiers had stayed in towns around the Low Country, and restaurant owner Joey Langston—the man from Minnesota—welcomed… Continue reading The Aftermath