by kristinoakley | May 7, 2021 | Creativity & Craft, Newsletter
After writing about the Academy Awards, I was curious about screenwriting so, I decided to interview my friend and colleague, Rebecca Williams Spindler. Rebecca is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, producer, and the former Vice President of the Wisconsin...
by kristinoakley | Apr 24, 2021 | Books and Movies, Newsletter
This Sunday marks the 93rd Annual Academy Awards and, more importantly, my niece’s 7th Annual Academy Award Party. In preparation for the party, my daughters and I watched all eight movies (and many others that were nominated for other awards). Here is my take...
by kristinoakley | Apr 9, 2021 | Creativity & Craft, Newsletter
When I told my editor, Tim Storm, I was struggling with the character arcs in The Devil Particle series he suggested reading craft books by Michael Hague and Lisa Cron. So, I checked out Michael Hague’s Story Master website and was surprised to find a video of...
by kristinoakley | Mar 26, 2021 | Creativity & Craft, Newsletter
Laurie Scheer, the powerhouse who made UW-Madison’s Writers’ Institute a must-attend event for thousands of writers throughout the Midwest, is offering new opportunities for writers. In this interview, Laurie and I discuss Nature Writing and her latest...
by kristinoakley | Mar 12, 2021 | Creativity & Craft, Newsletter
When I was seven or eight, I asked my mom, “Do you want to meet everyone in the world?” She looked at me in surprise and said, “No.” Her answer surprised me. I thought everyone wanted to meet everyone else. And I had been feeling anxious,...
by kristinoakley | Feb 26, 2021 | Fictional Research, Newsletter
When I wrote God on Mayhem Street, I created Frank Townsend’s family farm even though I didn’t know a thing about farming. As part of my research, I toured a friend’s farm and recruited Veterinarian Bill Stork to read my manuscript. His feedback gave...
