A Writer's Moment: 'Writing . . . Requires (both) Discipline and Comm...

A Writer's Moment: 'Writing . . . Requires (both) Discipline and Comm...: “The most important lesson my parents taught me is that writing is a job, one that requires discipline and commitment. M...

'Writing . . . Requires (both) Discipline and Commitment'

“The most important lesson my parents taught me is that writing is a job, one that requires discipline and commitment. Most of the time it's a fun job, a wonderful job, but sometimes it isn't, and those are the days that test you.” –  Jesse Kellerman

Kellerman, who celebrated his 43^rd birthday this week, is a Los Angeles native and oldest son of bestselling mystery novelists Faye Kellerman and Jonathan Kellerman.  While he studied psychology at Harvard and playwriting at Brandeis, it didn’t take long for him to gravitate to “the family business,” and since the arrival of his first novel in 2006 (Sunstroke) he has had 5 bestsellers of his own.

“All my books deal with the effect of intent upon action, how our understanding of good and evil depends heavily on context,” he said.

 

He has collaborated with his father on several books, led by

                           

 The Golem of Hollywood.  The psycho-suspense thriller combines Jonathan 's affinity for police procedures and Jesse 's use of unusual psychological suspense in a hunt for a murderer linked to a Jewish legend.

“All writers start out mimicking other writers. I've never relinquished that. I have a good ear for speech and writing patterns.” 

 

 

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A Writer's Moment: 'Things That Must Be Exposed To The Light'

A Writer's Moment: 'Things That Must Be Exposed To The Light': “Journalism, for me, has always been a calling,   There are things that must be exposed to the light, truths that must b...

'Things That Must Be Exposed To The Light'

“Journalism, for me, has always been a calling,  There are things that must be exposed to the light, truths that must be uncovered, stories worth risking your life for.” – Leslie Cockburn

An American writer, producer and director, Leslie Cockburn often found herself in situations where her life was at risk.  But she relentlessly “followed the story,” traveling the globe to capture award-winning news, features and documentaries alike. 

 Born Leslie Redlich (on this date in 1952), Cockburn makes her home in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Andrew, also a journalist and film producer with whom she both produced programs and co-authored several books,

She first got into filmmaking as an undergraduate student at Yale, where she learned her craft with a 16mm camera.  Right out of college she went to work making films, but was drawn to journalism working as both a feature reporter and producer for NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS, where she made documentary features for the program Front Line in collaboration with her husband. 

 

“When you are on assignment, you stick to the facts, limit your vision, and often cut out the most revealing material,” she has said about her reporting and producing style.  “(For a reporter) there is no texture, no shades of gray."

 

 

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A Writer's Moment: 'Every Writer . . . Strives For The Truly Original'

A Writer's Moment: 'Every Writer . . . Strives For The Truly Original': “I love writing both fiction and memoir. Both have unique challenges; bottom line, fiction is hard because you have to c...

'Every Writer . . . Strives For The Truly Original'

“I love writing both fiction and memoir. Both have unique challenges; bottom line, fiction is hard because you have to come up with the credible, twisty plot, and memoir is hard because you have to say something true and profound, albeit in a funny way.” – Lisa Scottoline

Born in 1955 in Philadelphia, Scottoline earned both undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and later became a litigator at a law firm there.  After the birth of her daughter she started writing as a way to earn money from home and her first novel, the legal thriller Final Appeal, won the 1995 Edgar Award for "Best Paperback Original Mystery,"

She has since written 40 bestselling novels, including Look Again and Don't Go, both which reached number two on the New York Times Best Seller List.  Her novels have sold millions been translated into 30 languages.   In recent years she’s done a number of “memoir” pieces with humor at the heart of her work, including the bestselling and hilarious Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?: True Stories and Confessions, with Francesca Serritella.

“I love writing, I love books, and I love reading,” she said.  “I read anything, including cereal boxes. I care deeply about what people think of my books, and I memorize my reviews. (And) I love to hear from my readers.                          

“Every writer, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, is trying to write something truly original, and that's what I think I'm doing.”

 

 

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A Writer's Moment: 'Great Ideas Surround The World's Ignorance'

A Writer's Moment: 'Great Ideas Surround The World's Ignorance':   “A great idea is usually original to more than one discoverer. Great ideas come when the world needs them. Great ideas surround the world&...