Susan Gabriel's Blog, page 14
May 19, 2015
Pat Conroy and Story River Books
Calling all Southern Writers of Southern Fiction:
Pat Conroy at Story River Books says it is a joy to discover new Southern writers who wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to be published, and he feels a responsibility to help out. That’s good news for southern writers who are looking for a traditional publisher in the form of a small...
May 12, 2015
Get Free Audio Books of My Latest Southern Stories
Are you interested in receiving free audio books of Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories or my latest novel, Temple Secrets? Then read on.
(Please note: If you’re on my newsletter list, you’ve already received this announcement.)
Did your mom or dad read books aloud to you when you were a kid? I loved reading stories to my...
May 8, 2015
16 Famous Late Bloomers: Writers and Artists
Toni Morrison
Are you a late bloomer? I am. I didn’t start writing until I was 38 (after a career as a licensed psychotherapist), and I am just now hitting my writing stride at 58. My first novel, Seeking Sara Summers, was published when I was 52. My seventh novel, Temple Secrets, came out this year.
Now that my books are selling well,...
May 6, 2015
Poet Sharon Olds: 3 Quotes On Creativity and Self-Respect
Are you creative? Need a spark of motivation or inspiration? Poet Sharon Olds has some things to say about creativity, self respect and being a late bloomer that you won’t want to miss. Here are my top three favorite quotes by Poet Sharon Olds:
There is something in me maybe someday to be written; now it is folded, and folded, and folded,...
April 29, 2015
Writers Who Inspire and Howl on the Page
“I don’t actually look for inspiration. I look for ways to recoup the joy of writing when that joy is lost to me. Whenever I find myself stuck or just without any ideas, it’s because I seem to have forgotten how incredibly fun it is to mess around with words. So to remind myself, I read. But not just anything. I have to read fiction that is...
April 14, 2015
How To Write a Novel
Dear Susan,
I am finally determined to make writing a priority. Can you suggest an amount of time I should devote / set aside for writing each day?
A woman emailed me recently to ask me how to write a novel. Since I’ve written a bunch of them, I responded with what has worked for me. Keep in mind, this advice isn’t just about...
April 8, 2015
The Secret Sense of Wildflower Sequel
Here is something I wrote today. It's a first draft, so it may change. This is Lily speaking, Wildflower's daughter:
"Granny doesn't believe in lingering. Lingering makes a soul lazy, she's told me more than once. But it turns out that lingering is what I am especially good at, and my soul doesn't feel lazy at all."
Turns out I'm good at lingering, too! What about you? Does your soul love to linger? xo
April 1, 2015
120 Things That Give Me Hope
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops – at all –
–Emily Dickinson
Instead of feeling hopeless and discouraged–which drains us of our creative zest–I came up with a list of 120 things that give me hope...
March 24, 2015
Have You Had a Vulnerability Hangover Lately?
Dr. Brené Brown, who gave a wildly popular TED talk (over 19 million views!) called The Power of Vulnerability, says a vulnerability hangover is:
“The feeling that sweeps over us after we feel the need to connect… and we share something deeply meaningful. Minutes, hours, or days later, we begin to feel regret sweep over us like a warm wave...
March 18, 2015
More Favorite Quotes About Reading, Books and Life
As many of you know—especially if you read my book Fearless Writing for Women: Extreme Encouragement and Writing Inspiration (published Dec/2013)—I love to collect quotes, and that book is absolutely full of my favorites. Since then, I’ve started a new list of my favorite quotes and keep 
adding to the list.
These favorite quotes are...
