Tanara McCauley

Culturally Imagined Stories

Category: Writing and Pursuing Publication

  • Book Review of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & David King

    I loved, loved, loved this book! And at the risk of breaking the “once is usually enough” rule I’ll say it again, I loved this book! Writing, like any other art form, might be born a talent; but it will soon die without some level of technique. In Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Browne & King…

  • Shoot for Your Dreams

    We returned from the shooting range. My brother-in-law, proud of the design he’d put in his target, whipped out his smartphone to show my great-grandmother. She peered at the image, smiled sweetly, then patted his knee. “That’s alright, sugar. Just keep practicing and you’ll get it.” At first glance, guns and dreams have little in…

  • A Classic Wreck

    It all started in a ’77 faded red Buick Skylark. The engine was stellar, the white leather seats unmarred, and the driver a young eighteen-year-old version of clueless personified: me. There I sat behind the wheel on a humid summer morning, cruising backwards country roads on my way to work. Windows down, warm air slapping at my face, and…

  • A Marriage Worth Saving

    My husband and I recently celebrated our tenth year of marriage. My surprise at how fast that milestone has come is surpassed only by how many of our friends’ marriages have collapsed along the way. Couples who were as vibrant and playful with each other as we are, whose faces and smiles grace the pages of our…

  • Just Write Already!

    The hardest part about being a writer…writing. Easy are the ideas, the excitement over the ideas, anticipation of the type of impact the book will have and the response it will receive, and even daydreams of how it all plays out on the big screen. But when I finally scoot up to the computer (after completing random…

  • Whadaya Mean There’s a Process? – Part 1

    I may be assuming a lot when I write this, but I doubt I’m the only writer who figured once they finally got around to finishing that first novel, all they would need to do is call up a few publishers, let them know the newest best seller was finally done, and whittle out the details…

  • Hello world!

    Welcome to my blog! Here you will be able to follow me on my journey as I write, edit, seek publication, discover new characters, and toss around my thoughts about life in general!