http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Mary+E.+Martin Writing Mary E. Martin Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=208920&ca=Writing I have a fascination with the paintings of the American artist, Edward Hopper. Somehow—whether by technique, imagination or subject matter—he is able to create the most compelling and evocative scenes, which stir my imagination. One of my favourites is Automat an oil painted by him in 1927. A youn... Writing Mary E. Martin Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=207105&ca=Writing Love songs are everywhere. But does anyone have a definition of love, which — people claim — makes the world go around? Sure, it's easy to tell when you're in love with someone. [The heart pounds and you act like an idiot.] But it's much harder to say if you actually love someone. Enter the mind of... Writing Mary E. Martin Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=205119&ca=Writing Ever had your moral convictions put to the test? Most of us think we know what we’d do in any given situation. But do we really? Maybe another unknown part of us surfaces and takes over—leaving us in a confusion of questions. But the deed is done and we cannot take it back. This is the predicament,... Writing Mary E. Martin Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=203304&ca=Writing I never considered myself a particularly spiritual, or for that matter, a religious person. But I've found that in writing The Osgoode Trilogy, particularly the third, A Trial of One, that compassion has become very strong theme which runs through all three novels. I just found this quote from Thoma... Opinions Mary E. Martin Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=202088&ca=Opinions JASPER, TEXAS: On June 7th, 1998, James Byrd, a black man was attacked by three white men. They beat him senseless with a bat, slit his throat and then dragged him three miles behind a pickup truck until he was dead. They murdered him because he was black. WYOMING: On October 10th, 1998, Matthew S... Opinions Mary E. Martin Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=199658&ca=Opinions The Matthew Shepard Legislation Do you think anyone should be beaten, raped or murdered? Hopefully not! Should we consider murder or assault a Hate Crime if the victim is African American, Asian, Jewish, Christian or Hindu? Let's hope so! Fortunately, such hate crimes legislation has been on the boo... Writing Mary E. Martin Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=131987&ca=Writing WHY WE LOVE STORIES Tell me a story! Just one more story! Okay, here’s one for you about a forty-six year old lawyer. Harry’s stuck in the backroom of a creaky, old law firm and under his senior partner’s thumb. Life is going nowhere and his chances of making real money are fading fast. His wife pla... Education Mary E. Martin Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=117626&ca=Education Do you think that creative writing can be taught? First, let me say that I have taken only one creative writing course in my life. And so, my experience is not extensive. But, having written for many years, I can tell you what I’ve observed. Teachers can help you hone your craft. They can even teach... Writing Mary E. Martin Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0800 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=114099&ca=Writing Frequently, I’m asked whether I know the whole story of a novel at the outset of writing it. The answer is a simple “no”. I might have an idea of where I want a story to go, but often I’m surprised by the direction it may take, seemingly all on its own. How on earth does that happen? First, let me s...