nedbachus Erik Larson, MORTAL THINGS, The Splendid and the Vile, Turning Points, Winston Churchill

Churchill’s Advice Holds For Writers Too/Raving for THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE.

Writing projects that don’t want to end can be hellish for writers. Winston Churchill’s advice to the British people during the London Blitz comes to mind: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” One way forward is to read great books about great strugglers, like The Splendid and the Vile. Thirty-six years ago, I began … Continue reading Churchill’s Advice Holds For Writers Too/Raving for THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE.

nedbachus Food, Stanley Tucci, Writing

Tucci’s TASTE: MY LIFE THROUGH FOOD Provides Food for Thought for Readers And Writers

Fiction writers benefit from reading books on craft, but they also can learn from books about routine yet important activities we humans do—like eating. Even tongue-tied fictional characters can “talk with their hands” when they cook and eat. The scene I enjoyed writing most in Mortal Things features two such widowers, one old and one … Continue reading Tucci’s TASTE: MY LIFE THROUGH FOOD Provides Food for Thought for Readers And Writers

nedbachus books, Events, MORTAL THINGS, The Brian And Lee Show, Turning Points, Writing

First pre-publication interview to share! 

Enjoyed being this week’s guest on The Brian And Lee Show on WWDB-AM Talk 860. Here’s the link for the podcast of Saturday’s show. https://wwdbam.com/episodes/the-brian-and-lee-show-interview-with-ned-bachus/ Hit Play then slide the little time cursor to 19:30, where the interview begins. Runs to 52:19. Had a great time talking with the father-son hosts about MORTAL THINGS and … Continue reading First pre-publication interview to share! 

nedbachus Kent Haruf, Turning Points, Writing

Moments That Matter: A Look at Kent Haruf’s BENEDICTION

Years ago, a poet friend exclaimed, “How did he do that?” after reading a short story by the late Andre Dubus. He didn’t quite see how those relatively few pages had built to such dramatic effect. I’ve had similar reactions after I’ve read novels by Kent Haruf. Kent Haruf 1943-2014 Haruf’s fictional terrain was the … Continue reading Moments That Matter: A Look at Kent Haruf’s BENEDICTION

nedbachus Domestic Abuse, Finding Our Voices, Patrisha McLean, Shoutout, Turning Points, Writing

TURNING POINTS—”Finding Our Voices”

We all experience points in our lives that prove pivotal. Those moments are not always obvious to us at the time. For a woman in Maine’s town of Camden, it is not difficult to identify a particular occasion when everything changed. Patrisha McLean’s personal horror that night immediately and permanently impacted her personal life. Since … Continue reading TURNING POINTS—”Finding Our Voices”