Category: Fiction

In the Beginning

Published on by Pearl S. Buck Writing Center7 Comments

By Sandy Cody Sandy Cody

For me, the hardest part of writing a novel is the beginning. Let’s say the book I’ve been working on is finished – polished and tweaked until it shines and I can’t find one more thing to change. In reality, that never happens, but at some point I realize that I’m just tinkering: changing, but not improving this story.

It’s time to move on. So, I open a new file. I can’t think of a title. Not a problem. I’ll do that later. So … what do I type at the top of the page? Continue reading “In the Beginning” →

Irish Eyes Will Smile on July 12th

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The Pearl S. Buck Writing Center is proud to announce a book signing, on Tuesday, July 12th from noon to 2pm at the Lansdale Public Library, by author Paul Sullivan for his new novel The Irishman’s Song – A Story of Love & Rebellion.

Irish Front Cover OnlyA tale of the 1916 Easter Rising and the Irish Civil War, The Irishman’s Song weaves adventure and survival into themes of loyalty, love and friendship –represented by the symbols on the Irish Claddagh ring – the crown, the heart and the hands.

The Irishman’s Song was published by the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center Press. Paul graciously contributed the first chapter to our Spring 2016 Literary Journal. Be sure to stop by and meet Paul and hear more about his new book.

Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Sullivan was raised in Tennessee and enjoyed a boyhood of camping, fishing and hunting in the South with his father who encouraged in him a love for books and education. After a move to Pennsylvania at fourteen, Sullivan became bored and restless in school. He dropped out and began working while continuing to read and learn.

Sullivan’s previous novels have themes of adventure and survival. The Legend of the North. Keewatin, The Unforgiving Land, Maata’s Journal and The Seal Hunters are all set in the Arctic; The Spirit Walker in Africa; A Burning of Prayers in Guatemala; Torn from the Sun in Peru and Spain; and Breaker at Dawn in the coal mines of Pennsylvania.

Sullivan traveled around the world, gathering a wealth of stories to tell. He now resides in Bristol, PA and is a member of the Pearl S. Buck Writers’ Guild.

June 2016 Guild Meeting shared 8 submissions

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By Ye Olde Editor,

A sunny day at Green Hills Farm greeted the dozen members of our prolific Writers Guild, who brought eight stories to share! We even received an emailed story from a member who couldn’t attend, but wanted our feedback.

Cindy Louden and I greeted the group and told them that Anne was under the weather, and she would not attend. We reminded everyone to follow our blog, and use the link to submission guidelines for the Fall Issue of the Literary Journal.

Happily for the author, Paul Sullivan is busy promoting his book, The Irishman’s Song. Paul will appear on the radio broadcast of WBCB 1490AM on Saturday, June 25th at noon, during Bristol’s Celtic Days celebration. Tune in to enjoy! Continue reading “June 2016 Guild Meeting shared 8 submissions” →

On A Few Useful Memories

Published on by Pearl S. Buck Writing Center1 Comment

By Anne K. Kaler, PhD

“Writers waste lots of paper but few useful memories.”

Is that a provocative sentence for a writer? Tony Hillerman uses it to end a paragraph describing how he uses a memory of an actual helicopter ride deep into a canyon as a major action in his mystery Hunting Badger.

Anne Kaler Head Shot
Anne Kaler

If a novelist as skilled as Hillerman can use his memory, why can’t we as writers use our memories – good and bad alike – to flesh out our fictions? Well, we can and we do.  Pearl Buck herself employed familiar touches in her writings to enhance the scenes.  Her children have even recognized several of them and treasured them.

In a way, we as writers inhabit many worlds, some of which are real. One of those worlds lies in our memory bank, just waiting to be withdrawn and put to use in another of our worlds, that of our writing. Of course, once the memory is withdrawn and staring us in the face, it must be transformed to fit the place it will be deposited into our story. That means that we have to revisit just how the memory affected us then and how it affects us now. Continue reading “On A Few Useful Memories” →

How to Write a Book Synopsis

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By Anne K. Kaler, PhD

“Send me a synopsis,” says your literary agent or editor.

Anne Kaler Head Shot
Anne K. Kaler

“Synopsis,” you say, “Sure. I’ll get mine in the mail to you.”

“Just as soon as I figure out just what it is,” you add under your breath as panic scrambles the few brain cells you have left.

And you thought writing was easy?

Do you run to the dictionary to check the meaning of the word?  Do you Google it? Do you call up a writing partner to advise you? Or do you give up in despair because you know that you are going to have to venture into the major leagues of the craft of writing without a bat, ball, or glove. Continue reading “How to Write a Book Synopsis” →

Mothers and Quilts in Romance Novels

Published on by Pearl S. Buck Writing Center3 Comments

By Anne K. Kaler, PhD

Cinderella is to blame.

The romance genre started with the Cinderella story where the innocence and loneliness of the heroine, as well as her lack of a satisfactory mother or a female support group, hindered her success in life. That meant that the early heroine had to be rescued by the rich nobleman who knew what was best for her.

Still it is not all Cinderella’s fault entirely because she was deprived of a suitable mother-figure to mold her perception of herself.  Mothers, you see, are necessary mentors for the female hero. The irony of this is that Hera, the queen of the Greek Gods, gave her name to the original hero Hercules whose name means “one who does great deeds in the name of Hera.” The word “heroine” is a weakened form of “hero” suggesting something smaller and of less value. Take, for example, the difference between the words “actor” and “actress”, “waiter” and “waitress”, and “poet” and “poetess”. The feminine form of each word suggests lesser ability even though the work accomplished is the same (and for 25% less pay.) Continue reading “Mothers and Quilts in Romance Novels” →