Gerard Bianco Studio

December 17th. Today we celebrate the birth date of Erskine Caldwell, novelist and short story writer. He wrote about poverty, racism and social problems in his native South in novels such as   Tobacco Road  and   God's Little Acre . His novel, Tobacco Road, was one of the most acclaimed novels of the 20th century.   “ I was not a writer to begin with; I was a listener. ” __E. Caldwell from azquotes.com Photo:  Author Erskine Caldwell poses with his book Tobacco Road on Jan. 28, 1953. A play of the novel stirred up a big controversy on Jan. 16, 1953, when five actors were arrested at the Vancouver’s Avon Theatre and charged with obscenity. Bill Dennett/Vancouver Sun.

Dear Friends, I'm giving away an autographed copy of my new book, A Sharp Bend in the Road: 17 Intriguing Stories on Goodreads to three lucky winners. It's easy to enter. Just follow the link below. Good luck. I hope you win! Goodreads Book Giveaway A Sharp Bend in the Road by Gerard Bianco Giveaway ends August 21, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

Photo by Carol Rosegg. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Having Trouble Writing Dialogue? This Should Help! Dialogue means words that characters say aloud to one another. Gestures, and not communicating to a question, can also be dialogue. Great conversation between characters can make or break your story. Here is a list of ten dialogue actions that will determine if your dialogue is any good. If your character's dialogue do not match up to at least seven of these actions then your conversations need editing. The dialogue you write should: ·                  move the story forward. ·                  move the story with ease of rhythm. ·                  pull together the series of interrelated events that make up the story. · ...

10 Literary Intentions  In Striving for Literary Excellence I Will: Begin every story with a conflict. I will do this no matter how great the temptation to begin with back story, or some other form of introduction. Create three-dimensional characters. In doing so, I know I must construct a detailed outline of my character's physical characteristics, as well as their behavioral psychology. I will use this outline as a guide whenever my characters appear in the story. Create a detailed description of the setting of each scene. I must remember the reader can't look inside my head to garner the details of a room, which I. in my mind's eye, can clearly see. I mustn’t forget the reader does not know what side of the bed my protagonist sleeps on; the type of glass he/she likes to drink from; the color of their  shoes; the way she looks at him through the strands of hair that drape over her eyes when she’s angry. Maintain a single point of view in each scene. I will remember...

BIG NEWS! I'm happy to announce I'm offering three new writing programs that I'm certain you'll not only enjoy, but will BOOST your writing level as well. Here they are! ONE-ON-ONE WRITER COACHING PROGRAM : It's been proven you'll learn more, learn faster, and learn to write better with a personal writing coach. My One-On-One Writer Coaching Program will help you make the leap past the rejection pile and onto the publisher's pages. WRITE AND BE PUBLISHED PROGRAM : This program is for both the beginning writer and for those who have been writing for some time without much luck in getting published. My 8-week on-line course will provide you with the basic writing knowledge you'll need as the foundation for your writer's journey toward successful publishing. We'll look at the work of famous authors and learn about the writing elements they used to created their literary masterpieces. You'll then incorporate these same writ...

Harold Jenkins Tonight’s a big night for Harold Jenkins, fictitious leading character in Gerard Bianco’s play DISCIPLINE. Tonight, Mad Horse Theatre Co. is presenting DISCIPLINE to the world in a staged reading of the play. I had the pleasure of interviewing Harold just hours before the reading. Here’s what he had to say. Gerard : Hi Harold, welcome to my blog. First, I want to thank you for coming to this interview only hours before the reading. Harold : You're very welcome. It’s good to be here. Actually, it's quite good to be anywhere. Gerard: So, you've got a big night coming up. Are you nervous? Harold: Sure, who wouldn’t be? But I’m with a terrific cast and a great director. The audience will be happy and well entertained. Gerard: It snowed last night into this morning, do you think that’s going to affect attendance? Harold:  It snowed, I know. Can you believe it? No, I don’t believe it’s going to affect attendance. It’s warming up, the...

JOIN MAD HORSE THEATRE AS WE CELEBRATE TWO TERRIFIC “BY LOCAL” PLAYWRIGHTS! Mad Horse Theatre is proud to usher in Spring with the latest installment of its popular BY LOCAL new play series. The series has established itself as a standard for bringing exciting, original scripts by Maine writers to theater audiences in the Greater Portland area. DISCIPLINE by Gerard Bianco, April 9 and 11th FROM AWAY by MK Wolfe, April 10th and 12th Admission is Pay-What-You-Can (suggested donation $10.00). Tickets are available only at the door. 7:30 Thursday-Saturday and 2:00 on Sunday.  Tickets are available at the door. Visit  www.madhorse.com  or check out the Mad Horse Facebook page for more information. DISCIPLINE , directed by Daniel Burson, is an award-winning romantic comedy that has us spending two evenings in the apartment of Harold Jenkins, a man many would consider a nobody. Helpless against the powers that control his every hour, Harold rebels in the onl...

I'm giving away an autographed copy of my new book A Sharp Bend in the Road: 17 Intriguing Stories,  on Goodreads,   to three lucky winners. Good luck! Hope you win! Goodreads Book Giveaway A Sharp Bend in the Road by Gerard Bianco Giveaway ends March 23, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

Mad Horse Theater Company, a professional resident theater ensemble serving Greater Portland, Maine, will present a full-cast reading of my play DISCIPLINE over the weekend April 9-12. This special event is part of Mad Horse Theater’s By Local Series. “There’s a tremendous amount of play-writing talent in the Greater Portland area,” says Brent Askari, Mad Horse company member and By Local co-organizer. “And with By Local, Mad Horse is demonstrating a deep and substantial intention to help foster, nurture, and promote that talent.” DISCIPLINE is  an award-winning romantic comedy that has us spending two evenings in the apartment of Harold Jenkins, a man many would consider a nobody. Helpless against the powers that control his every hour, Harold rebels in the only way he knows how - sexual hyperactivity. Lilly, Harold's less-than-generous lady love, keeps Harold's sexual advances on a short leash, leaving the poor guy frustrated and essentially isolated. But new possi...

Today, I bring you something fun and exciting, and something we've never done before on the blog. Allow me to present historical-author Linda McLaughlin's interview with one of the characters from her book Lady Elinor’s Escape. It's 19th century English Barrister Stephen Chaplin. Let’s hear what he has to say: I recently visited barrister Stephen Chaplin, Esquire at his offices in London ’s Lincoln ’s Inn . LM: Mr. Chaplin, thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me. Can you tell me a bit about yourself? For instance, are you originally from the London area? SC: No, my family is from Lincolnshire . I grew up on a small estate with my elder brother and my younger sister, Olivia. LM: Where did you attend university? SC: Cambridge , of course. The men of my family have done so for several generations. Then I came to Lincoln ’s Inn to read for the law. LM: Did you always want to be a barrister? SC: Not as a child, of course. Boys always ha...

Happy to have author Tina Gayle on the blog. Tina is a multi-genre author, delving into mystery, romance, and the paranormal. This post will focus on Summer's Growth, just one of the many books by this author. Blurb for Summer’s Growth: In the spirit-haunted Winston estate in Ohio, rooted in time and occupied by the lingering ghosts of a great family, the torch is about to pass... Mattie Winston, sober, sensible, and steady, has served as Keeper to the family for decades. Amber Harrison, hovering on the edge of flunking out of college, unsure what she wants out of life, has barely even heard of the Winston estate. The family, however, has decided that it's time for the changing of the guard. These two exceptional women soon find themselves dealing with violence, murder attempts, and old family mysteries while each finding the love of her life. Two romances and a growing friendship, all twined around a brooding family tragedy, make for an outstanding paranorma...

"Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -  I never get writer's block. Writers who get writer's block think story is the most important element in writing. It's not. It's how you feel about a thing that's most important. A great writer uses story to express his or her feelings. Learn to feel. Then write a story that will convey, metaphorically, how you feel. If you do these two things, you'll never, ever get writer's block.

In celebration of the release of my new book, A Sharp Bend in the Road: 17 Intriguing Stories , Goodreads is giving away an autographed copy to 3 lucky recipients. Giveaway dates: February 5th - February 9th. Sign up below for a chance to win!    GOOD LUCK! --GERARD Goodreads Book Giveaway A Sharp Bend in the Road by Gerard Bianco Giveaway ends February 09, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

How to Create Three-Dimensional Characters Fleshing out your characters is one of the most important elements in writing great fiction. Details, such as how your characters look, how they walk and talk, and their idiosyncratic propensities, must be written into your story so that your characters have a three-dimensional quality. But, when it comes to representing characters as living, breathing beings, addressing your character's physical profile is only half the battle. An author must also be sympathetic to a character’s wants and needs. Your sensitivity will round out your characters and will add fullness to your story as well. Why Do Stories Fall Flat?             Ever wonder why your stories sometimes fall flat? What’s missing? Ezra Katz from Wikimedia  The problem could be, like some parents who work too long and too hard, that you've lost sight of the wants and needs of your children, and by children I me...

Announcing the official release of my new book, A SHARP BEND IN THE ROAD: 17 INTRIGUING STORIES. Over two years in the making. On the shelves at last. Here's what reviewers are saying: " A Sharp Bend in the Road showcases a carnival of amazing and totally different types of stories. From a story about a young man's encounter in an elevator, to a gay couple in a jewelry store, to a woman entering a retirement home. Bianco's characters are real, yet colorful and unique. he has a gift in creating genuine dialogue making each story come alive. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of stories. 5 stars for sure! A fine collection written by one author who clearly knows his craft." --Susan Violante for Reader Views . It was my privilege to be interviewed by Jane Isaac , England's hottest new rising star of the mystery/thriller genre. In the interview you'll learn: What makes this story collection different from those of other writers? Elements...

I read an interesting story yesterday on the BBC News site about how thousands of ancient coins were discovered, buried beneath the earth. ( http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-30654568 ) The coins, dating back to the 11th century, had been buried in a lead bucket, just two feet below the surface of the earth. As a writer, I thought about this story and what the unearthing of these coins meant to me metaphorically. I compared the coins to the vast treasures buried deep within all us, hiding below the surface of the hard exterior shell we’ve built around ourselves - the shell we believe protects us from the outside world - the shell that shields us from insult, embarrassment, and injury to our pride. The "insecurity shell,"  I call it. Do you know the shell I'm talking about? I'm certain some of you do. Perhaps you began building yours the first time someone told you that you couldn’t do something because you lacked the talent, or the money, o...