A diversion from the road for a moment. I recently received a note from another writer attending a fiction workshop in California. I was told that in the course of the workshop the instructor handed down a dictum, something we all do when we’re trying to deliver as much information to students as we can … Read more
Boundary Waters was the second book in a two-book contract that included Iron Lake. When Pocket Books (now Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster) bought the books, they knew nothing about the second book. I didn’t even have a title for it, only a vague idea. Contractually I was obligated at some point … Read more
Boundary Waters opens with a scene many readers consider horrific. A man—a good man, a strong old Ojibwe—is being tortured for information that, in the end, he refuses to give. Some readers can’t get past that opening. But what I point out to them is that nothing graphically violent happens in the opening scene. In … Read more
Even those of you without children will probably understand this. You want to be proud of your children. You want your children to be strong and go out into the world capable of standing against adversity. And selfishly, you want your children to represent you well, to bring honor to your name, and in doing … Read more
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I took the first step this past week. For anyone who missed my initial blog entry, here’s the deal. I’ve embarked on a journey this summer that will involve a first for me—rereading all the books in the Cork O’Connor series. My perspective has always … Read more