Is your TBR list getting longer by the day and somehow you still haven’t managed to get through the Classics? It isn’t too late to re-discover the books you might have dreaded long ago in high school but are curious about today. I don’t love New Year’s resolutions … but getting started on the Classics […]
Author Archives: Sharon Virts
The History Before the Era of Good Feelings
Except for an opening scene, Masque of Honor is set in Virginia between 1816 and 1819. This period in American history is known as the Era of Good Feelings (~1817-1825) and was dominated by one political party, Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic Republicans. But Masque of Honor is about the Mason-McCarty duel that was fought as a […]
Feeling Friday – Feeling Resilient
Like on most mornings on my SMR page, today I posted a motivational quote to accompany yet another spectacular Selma sunrise. I chose an inspirational message from Eleanor Roosevelt. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” I selected this as it seemed particularly relevant to the week I have had. Through circumstances […]
Clarity
There comes a point in the creative process where you just need to get away from the work. I didn’t realize how important that was until this weekend. Scott and I spent the weekend in New Orleans at Emeril Lagasse’s Carnivale du Vin, a weekend charity event supporting underserved youth. We met new friends and […]
The Spirits of New Orleans
Have you ever taken a walk down Chartres at the rear of the French Quarter? It is one of the oldest parts of the city. The street, narrow and cobblestoned, gives away its age. With buildings constructed in the eighteenth century, there are fanlights above nearly every door with carriageways between and courtyards behind nearly […]
Sharon’s Daily Inspiration
I was recently asked to share my favorite “writing music”. Turns out it’s a short list: NONE. I need absolute silence – no distractions—when I work, write, etc. I’m ADD. I just simply can’t focus with anything that might distract me from the words on the page. Especially when the subject matter, historical fiction, requires […]
Holed Up in the Tower
I’ve spent the past three days holed up in the Tower. Not that tower! But the Tower at our property on Bald Head Island! When my husband and I decided to build our dream house at the beach four years ago, we had fancied something on the beach. But that soon changed when we considered […]
Mapping the Final Cuts
Last week was spent working with my editor mapping Masque of Honor’s structure against proven story-telling standards that date back to the times of Plato. As we cut material from the book to improve its pacing, we also kept a close eye on the characters’ arcs, ensuring none were compromised. And most importantly, we made […]
Feeling Fall
It’s that glorious golden time of year and I’m feeling poetic. And before you ask, the answer is “no”! With my impending deadline, I don’t have time for writing poetry these days, but I love to read the lyrical stanza of those more talented. One of my favorite poets is Robert Frost. His NOTHING GOLD […]
Anthony McCarten on Writing
Two years ago, I met Anthony McCarten and the two of us became fast friends. Anthony is a novelist, author, playwright and screenwriter. His novels include Death of a Superhero, Spinners, The English Harem, and Show of Hands among others. His films include The Theory of Everything, The Darkest Hour, and Bohemian Rhapsody, which at […]
