A Writer's Moment: 'It's an obvious fact'

A Writer's Moment: 'It's an obvious fact':   “A man should keep his brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-roo...

'It's an obvious fact'

 

“A man should keep his brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his brain library, where he can get it if he wants it.” –Arthur Conan Doyle

 

Born in Scotland on this date in 1859, Doyle created one of the iconic figures in literary history - the detective Sherlock Holmes.   Noted for his to-the-point comments while solving mysteries, Holmes once pointed out that, “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.” Doyle wrote his first Holmes book, A Study in Scarlet, in 1887, the first of just four novels he wrote about Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson, but further enhanced by 58 short stories featuring the famous duo.  

 

Widely considered milestones in the field of crime fiction, the Holmes' stories spawned dozens (if not more) uses of Holmes by other writers as well as many movies and television programs.  And they brought Deerstalker hats and Meerschaum pipes into vogue.  

The prolific Doyle - in addition to the Holmes' tales - wrote more than 200 stories and articles, four volumes of poetry, and a number of works for the stage, ranging from fantasy and science fiction to romance.  He also wrote a number of nonfiction books and seven historical novels, led by the bestselling Sir Nigel and The White Company.   For his contributions to writing, he was knighted in 1902 becoming “Sir” Arthur Conan Doyle, a title to which he is often referred. 

 

“Once you eliminate the impossible," he had his famous detective say, "whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”  

A Writer's Moment: 'indefatigable optimism' and writing power

A Writer's Moment: 'indefatigable optimism' and writing power:   “The optimism of a healthy mind is indefatigable.”  – Margery Allingham   Allingham was – as the old saying goes – “bo...

'indefatigable optimism' and writing power

 

“The optimism of a healthy mind is indefatigable.” – Margery Allingham   Allingham was – as the old saying goes – “born with ink in her blood” writing everything from plays to novels to screenplays, novellas and short stories, over 100 total works in all.   Born in London on this date in 1904, she wrote steadily from age 5 until her death in 1966.  As the daughter of two well-established newspaper columnists, she learned to write early and had her first plays performed on stage before the age of 10.   Although she wrote in almost every genre Allingham ultimately focused on crime and mystery, creating one of the most well-known crime detectives of the mid-20th Century, the sleuth Albert Campion.  Ironically, Campion was put into her novel The Crime at Black Dudley almost as an afterthought, but he was such an optimistic and interesting character that her publishers demanded more stories that would focus on him.     With that encouragement and her creative and imaginative mind, Allingham wrote 18 novels and some three dozen short stories and novellas with Campion (who many thought to be her alter-ego) at the heart of the action.  Among them was one of her most famous novels, The Tiger in the Smoke.   Allingham died from breast cancer at age 62, but ever the optimist she laid out ideas for several more novels “just in case they’re wrong and I’m not really dying,” and bugging everyone around her to keep the faith and help her keep writing.  As she noted just a few days before her death, “If one cannot command attention by one’s admirable qualities, one can at least be a nuisance.”

A Writer's Moment: 'How to judge a heart'

A Writer's Moment: 'How to judge a heart':   “Imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization.” – L. Frank Baum   Born in Chittenango, N...

'How to judge a heart'

 

“Imagination has brought mankind through the dark ages to its present state of civilization.” – L. Frank Baum

 

Born in Chittenango, NY on May 15, 1856 Baum’s writing imagination not only led to the creation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz but 60 more novels, 83 short stories, 200 poems and countless scripts for the stage and fledgling movie industry.  A strong advocate for women’s rights and women’s suffrage, Baum wrote many books about and for women and girls, including a popular 10-book series Aunt Jane’s Nieces, which depicted teenage girls and young women as leaders and heroines. 

 

A newspaper editor for several years, Baum was working at the Saturday Evening Pioneer, in Aberdeen, SD, when he started writing his Wonderful Wizard books.  He credited his experiences on the prairies of drought-stricken South Dakota (and not Kansas, as in his tales) for his setting at the beginning of Dorothy’s journey to Oz.  Baum died from a stroke in May of 1919, just months before the release of his final novel Glinda of Oz, about the powerful “good witch” in Oz – made even more “knowable” by today’s popular “Wicked” movies.

 

Among his contributions to the lexicon – in addition to the idea that a magical land called Oz could be found “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” – were the names Dorothy, Toto The Emerald City, Glinda and the phrase ‘I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” one of the most recognizable in the English language.  Baum also created a thoughtful line about empathy in the Wizard’s advice to the Tin Man, who was seeking a heart so that he could feel emotion.

 

“A heart,” he said, “is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.”

A Writer's Moment: 'These make humanity'

A Writer's Moment: 'These make humanity':   “Love, hope, fear, faith - these make humanity. These are its sign and note and character.” – Robert Browning   Love can be a major in...

'These make humanity'

 

“Love, hope, fear, faith - these make humanity. These are its sign and note and character.” – Robert Browning

 

Love can be a major influence on writers’ works, but for Browning (born in May of 1812) and Elizabeth Barrett (born in May of 1806), love fired both their personal relationship and their writing.  Their love story and marriage led to some of the most important poems by both including her famous love sonnets, highlighted by “Sonnet 43” known by its popular name “How do I love thee?"  

 

For Saturday’s Poem here is, 

 

              How Do I Love Thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with a passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

A Writer's Moment: 'Where to find your writing ideas'

A Writer's Moment: 'Where to find your writing ideas':   “The first time I can remember thinking that I would like to be a writer came in sixth grade, when our teacher Mrs. Crandall gave us an ex...

'Where to find your writing ideas'

 

“The first time I can remember thinking that I would like to be a writer came in sixth grade, when our teacher Mrs. Crandall gave us an extended period of time to write a long story. I loved doing it. I started working seriously at becoming a writer when I was 17.” –  Bruce Coville

 

Born in Syracuse, NY on May 16, 1950 Coville has authored more than 100 Children’s and Young Adult books.  But like every versatile writer, he tried his hand at a number of things – including toymaking, gravedigging, assembly line worker and then teaching elementary school – before turning to writing.

 

“I loved teaching,” he said.  And for a time he thought that was going to be his life’s work.   But writing was still on his mind, so he talked to his students about what they wanted to read, and it sounded a lot like what he also liked to read when he was a kid. “I read books that made me laugh but also made me shiver in terror. I wanted to make books that made other people feel the same way.”

After a few “false starts” he published his first children’s book The Foolish Giant, illustrated by his wife Catherine.  Translated into over a dozen languages, it is still popular among readers everywhere.  Many of his novels – led by multiple-award winners like My Teacher Glows in the Dark and I Was a 6th Grade Alien – have earned awards, and he has been honored with the Empire State Award for Excellence in Literature for Young People, given by the New York Library Association for his life’s work.

 

Keep looking everywhere for ideas is his writing advice.  “Ideas are all around you - everything gives you ideas,” he said.  “But the real source is the part of your brain that dreams.”

A Writer's Moment: 'Looking out to a rich, wonderful universe'

A Writer's Moment: 'Looking out to a rich, wonderful universe':   “Books were the window from which I looked out of a rather meager and decidedly narrow room onto a rich and wonderful universe. I loved th...

'Looking out to a rich, wonderful universe'

 

“Books were the window from which I looked out of a rather meager and decidedly narrow room onto a rich and wonderful universe. I loved the look and feel of books, even the smell... Libraries were treasure houses. I always entered them with a slight thrill of disbelief that all their endless riches were mine for the borrowing.” –  Zilpha Keatley Snyder

 

Born in California in May of 1927, Snyder primarily wrote books for children and young adults – at a rate of nearly one per year during the height of her writing prowess.  She won three Newbery Awards along the way for The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm.  Often a blend of realism and the supernatural, her books feature thoughtful, courageous girls or young women as the protagonists.

 

A graduate of Whittier College, Snyder was an elementary and middle school teacher before she began writing fiction in the 1960s, starting with short stories.  Her 1964 debut novel Season of Ponies made several bestseller lists, and she was soon writing full time, completing 46 books between 1964 and 2011.  She died in 2014.

  

Snyder said even though she was a teacher first, she always dreamed of writing and couldn’t imagine any other profession.  

 

“It grew from the dreams I always had as a child,” she said. “I think writing is an extension of a childhood habit - the habit of entertaining oneself by taking interesting bits of reality and building upon them.”

A Writer's Moment: 'Once hooked, always involved'

A Writer's Moment: 'Once hooked, always involved':   “The thing about reading is that if you are hooked, you're not going to stop just because one series is over; you're going to go a...

'Once hooked, always involved'

 

“The thing about reading is that if you are hooked, you're not going to stop just because one series is over; you're going to go and find something else.” – Eoin Colfer

Born in Ireland in May of 1965 Colfer, whose first name is pronounced Owen, is best known for his Artemis Fowl children’s book series, although he also gained considerable fame as the author of the 6^th edition of the popular Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series – titled And Another Thing.

 

Colfer was a teacher of Middle Schoolers before writing a standalone book called Benny and Omar, which his students loved.  Encouraged by their response, he then wrote Artemis Fowl, about a 12-year-old criminal mastermind.  His many Fowl tales since have been wildly popular and are now out in 44 languages, also spinning off into graphic novels and movie productions. 

 

His books have earned numerous awards, including the British Children’s Book of the Year, The Irish Book Awards ‘Children’s Book of the Year,’ and The German Children’s Book of the Year.   His most recent titles are 2025’s Firefox Moon and the 2023 children’s picture book Three Tasks for a Dragon (written with P.J. Lynch).

 

Ever a teacher, Cofer is a popular speaker at writing conferences and workshops for aspiring writers, where he encourages persistence as a key to success.

 

“I often meet frustrated young writers who say they've only got so far and just can't finish a book,” he said.  “Even if you don't happen to use what you've worked on that day, it has taught you something and you'll be amazed when you might come back to it and use it again.”

A Writer's Moment: 'A reason to continue'

A Writer's Moment: 'A reason to continue':   “ I think what gets a poem going is an initiating line. Sometimes a first line will occur, and it goes nowhere; but other times - and this...

'A reason to continue'

 

“I think what gets a poem going is an initiating line. Sometimes a first line will occur, and it goes nowhere; but other times - and this, I think, is a sense you develop - I can tell that the line wants to continue. If it does, I can feel a sense of momentum - the poem finds a reason for continuing.” – Billy Collins

 

Born in New York City in 1941, Collins is a former U.S. Poet Laureate, internationally acclaimed author of dozens of collections of poetry, and recipient of several international prizes for his contributions to the field of literature and letters.  For Saturday’s Poem, here is Collins’, 

                                                Morning

Why do we bother with the rest of the day,
the swale of the afternoon,
the sudden dip into evening,

then night with his notorious perfumes,
his many-pointed stars?

This is the best—
throwing off the light covers,
feet on the cold floor,
and buzzing around the house on espresso—

maybe a splash of water on the face,
a palmful of vitamins—
but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso,

dictionary and atlas open on the rug,
the typewriter waiting for the key of the head,
a cello on the radio,

and, if necessary, the windows—
trees fifty, a hundred years old
out there,
heavy clouds on the way
and the lawn steaming like a horse

A Writer's Moment: It's a discipline 'you have to love'

A Writer's Moment: It's a discipline 'you have to love':   “ Writing is sweat and drudgery most of the time. And you have to love it in order to endure the solitude and the discipline.”  – Peter Be...

It's a discipline 'you have to love'

 

“Writing is sweat and drudgery most of the time. And you have to love it in order to endure the solitude and the discipline.” – Peter Benchley

 

Born in New York City on May 8, 1940 Benchley (who died in 2006) wrote the novel Jaws, subsequently made into a blockbuster movie by Steven Spielberg, who said he initially found many of the characters unsympathetic and actually wanted the shark to win. 

 

Benchley came from a writing legacy, his grandfather Robert being one of the founders of the famed writing group known as the Algonquin Round Table.  But Peter struggled to get his own foot in the publishing door and nearly decided against it.  He had little early success and was just doing part-time freelance writing when he pitched the idea for Jaws as “one final attempt to stay alive as a writer.” And the rest, as the saying goes . . .

Released in 1974, Jaws was at or near the top of the New York Times bestseller list for 44 weeks and has been continuously in print ever since.   While he wrote a couple more bestselling novels, including The Deep (also adapted as a movie), he had more success as a screenwriter (11 movie adaptations) and writing about conservation.   His book Ocean Planet: Writings and Images of the Sea is considered one of the definitive works on the topic.  Today, the annual Peter Benchley Ocean Awards are awarded to recognize conservation efforts on behalf of the world's oceans.  

 

“The ocean is the only alien and potentially hostile environment on the planet into which we tend to venture without thinking about the animals that live there, how they behave, how they support themselves, and how they perceive us,” he said.  “Without the oceans, there would be no life on earth.”

A Writer's Moment: 'The keys to writing success'

A Writer's Moment: 'The keys to writing success':   “If you have a craftsman's command of the language and basic writing techniques you'll be able to write - as long as you know what...

'The keys to writing success'

 

“If you have a craftsman's command of the language and basic writing techniques you'll be able to write - as long as you know what you want to say” – Jeffery Deaver

 

Born in Glen Elyn, Illinois on this date in 1950 Deaver is one of America’s premiere mystery/crime writers having earned most of the top awards in the genre and making almost every major bestseller list around the globe.  A lawyer, too (he graduated from Fordham Law and was in the profession before writing), he’s written 50 novels and 5 collections of short stories.  His “Colter Shaw” stories – the latest being 2025’s South of Nowhere – are the basis for the hit TV series Tracker.

 

Among his many awards are a Nero Wolfe and three Ellery Queen Reader's Awards for Best Short Story and Best Novel of the Year.  And Colter Shaw notwithstanding, Deaver's most popular books feature Lincoln Rhyme, a quadriplegic detective, and NYPD Detective Amelia Sachs.  His books The Devil’s Teardrop, which first introduced Rhyme, and The Bone Collector, first in the Rhyme series, also were popular television movies.  His newest The Collateral Heart is just out in both text and audio versions

 

“My books are primarily plot driven,” he said, “but the best plot in the world is useless if you don’t populate them with characters that readers can care about.”