Table of Contents
For an overview of what you can find in my blog
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Now here’s a breakdown of the kinds of things you can find on my blog. Feel free to look around and explore!
Book Recommendations
My personal favorite nonfiction books, out in 2020 (with a typical bent toward history & art).
My top 10 (okay top 12) fiction reads of the year — obviously heavy on historical fiction!
Learn about the history of the Italian Renaissance with historical novelist Alyssa Palombo.
My thoughts about one of my favorite new books, Michelangelo, God’s Architect by William E. Wallace, about Michelangelo’s later years.
These are my top 10 gift recommendations for the art lover in your life. From this art nerd to yours!
My top 10 favorite screenwriting books that an help novelists write stronger, faster, more compelling stories.
Here are Stephanie Storey’s Top 10 favorite movies about her favorite subject: art history.
For those of you who want to pick up a few acting tools to learn how to create better characters, write more compelling dialogue, and craft stronger scenes, here’s a list of some of my favorite acting books for you.
Often when I teach a writing workshop, my students ask for my favorite books about the craft of writing. So here’ s my odd list—a combo of books about writing prose, screenplays, and even musicals to help you find the kinds of books you want to read to improve your craft.
A lot of people ask about the research that went into my art historical novel, Oil and Marble. I’ve been obsessed with Michelangelo, Leonardo and the Italian Renaissance for over 20 years (I’ve read every book I could find, crawled into …
If you're anything like me, you're eager to read Walter Isaacson's upcoming biography of Leonardo da Vinci. But it doesn't come out until October 17th, so what are you going to do until then? To tide you over, here's a list...
Now that my debut novel has hit the Los Angeles Times bestseller list and garnered glowing reviews (including from The New York Times), other writers often ask which books helped me develop my craft.
My thoughts about one of my favorite new books, Michelangelo, God’s Architect by William E. Wallace, about Michelangelo’s later years.
A lot of people ask about the research that went into my art historical novel, Oil and Marble. I’ve been obsessed with Michelangelo, Leonardo and the Italian Renaissance for over 20 years (I’ve read every book I could find, crawled into …
If you're anything like me, you're eager to read Walter Isaacson's upcoming biography of Leonardo da Vinci. But it doesn't come out until October 17th, so what are you going to do until then? To tide you over, here's a list...
Go here to discover my favorite works of art in Los Angeles — the most famous pieces of art that you really “Must See” when visiting the City of Angeles.
My trip to the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh gave me a surprising view of this famous artist.
Are you going to Paris, but overwhelmed by the AMOUNT of art to see? Want to check out a few masterpieces, but don’t want to get bogged down in museums? I mean, just one wing of the Louvre could take an entire day, right? Here are my top 10 Must See Pieces of Art in Paris. This list doesn’t cover all the great art in the City of Lights, but if you see these, at least you will be off to a good start…
If you can’t travel all the way to Italy right now, there’s plenty of Italian Renaissance art to enjoy right here in the US. Here’s a list of the Top 10 Italian Renaissance Collections in the United States.
There are so many works of art in Italy, what MUST you see when traveling across the peninsula? When you come back home, and your friends say, “Did you see ________?” You want to be able to say YES, right? But how are you supposed to know which pieces are the most significant when the list of “iconic” works in Italy is so long?
Stephanie Storey’s Top 10 Must-See Works of Art in Florence, Italy: artists include Titian, Botticelli, Raphael, Leonardo and yes, Michelangelo…
A friend recently told me about his experience seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time. "I was expecting to have this quiet, intimate moment with this beautiful painting," he said. "Instead, it was a madhouse! Why didn't anyone…
3 Major Impressionist exhibits in the US from now until early 2020, featuring Monet, Renoir, and Morisot.
The new Monet exhibit at the Denver Art Museum (on now through Feb 2, 2020) is a must see for fans of Claude Monet, art lovers in general, and those who want to learn more about the man and his art.
My top 10 favorite small art towns in the US, brimming with artists, galleries, and a creative spirit.
Over the next 9 months, 2 museums in the US will offer a rare opportunity to see Michelangelo drawings (from the Teylers Museum in Haarlem, Netherlands) up close in the United States. Michelangelo: Mind of the Master will be at the Cleveland Museum of Art from now through January 5 and at the Getty in Los Angeles from Feb 25 - June 7.
I know many people don’t typically associate great art with the American South, but I was born and raised in Arkansas and so have had the privilege of visiting many of our great Southern museums. So, here’s a list of my favorite museums, all located in my proverbial neck of the woods.
Nearly everyone’s “Must See” list in Barcelona includes a visit to the Antoni Gaudi apartment building Casa Milà (commonly called La Pedrera). But when you go to buy your tickets, you’ll be faced with a tough choice. You can tour La Pedrera by day OR by night. So, I wanted to give you the inside scoop between day and night so you can make the best decision for your trip.
My Top 10 reasons why you’ll want to visit one of the best museums in the world: Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, Arkansas.
I love giant art museums — the Louvre, Met, Getty, Vatican, British Museum; you can wander through their halls for days and still not see everything on display. But even more than a giant museum, I love walking into a TINY museum that has a collection that rivals the big kids.
Starting in June, you'll have to travel to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris to see the groundbreaking exhibition about Impressionist painter, Berthe Morisot -- but before the Parisians have this exhibit, you can see it at the Dallas Museum of...
When I walked into the Verrocchio exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C, I thought I HAD to be looking at a copy or a model of the original Verrocchio masterpiece of David standing over the head of Goliath. There was NO POSSIBLE WAY the Bargello (the great sculpture museum in Florence) had shipped Verrocchio’s ORIGINAL statue all the way to America… right?! WRONG.
Earlier this month, I spent an afternoon at the Portland Art Museum, and I was delighted by this oasis of art. Around every corner there was a new masterpiece to enjoy… So to help you navigate your way through this museum, here are my top 10 picks for the must-see pieces.
Recently, I went on a Museum Hack tour — “unconventional tours of the world’s best museums” — at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. So, here are 8 reasons why — if you ever get the chance — you should definitely hack a museum!
The first time I visited — over 20 years ago — the painting felt distant. I’d studied it for so may hours in a dark art history classroom that I didn’t know how to connect with the thing itself. The second time, I focused on studying every …
Learn 10 ways studying the great storytellers of art history can make you a better writer.
My top 10 favorite screenwriting books that an help novelists write stronger, faster, more compelling stories.
Top 10, most frequently asked questions about how to get an agent and/or a publisher, from a bestselling novelist.
For those of you who want to pick up a few acting tools to learn how to create better characters, write more compelling dialogue, and craft stronger scenes, here’s a list of some of my favorite acting books for you.
Often when I teach a writing workshop, my students ask for my favorite books about the craft of writing. So here’ s my odd list—a combo of books about writing prose, screenplays, and even musicals to help you find the kinds of books you want to read to improve your craft.
We’ve all heard it a million times: to be a writer, you must write every day.
But in a world of jobs and kids and cooking and sleeping and shoveling snow, how are any of us supposed to find the time to sit down and write? Every day? Impossible…
I’m a novelist, so I know the feeling: You conquered your fear and started your novel. You wrote for months or maybe years. You survived the long desert known as “the middle.” You wrote your favorite parts; the parts that made you want to write the story in the first place. And then, you wrote the last sentence. Added the last period. The End.
Now that my debut novel has hit the Los Angeles Times bestseller list and garnered glowing reviews (including from The New York Times), other writers often ask which books helped me develop my craft.
I’m an art-historical novelist, so I’m very familiar with the on-going debate at the center of historical fiction: Is it the novelist’s duty to serve the HISTORY or the FICTION? Readers expect to learn something from historical fiction — to …
Stephanie Storey hired an editor before sending her debut novel, Oil and Marble, out to publishers. Should YOU hire an editor before you send your book out into the world, too?
Bestselling author Stephanie Storey’s top 5 tips for writing a killer query letter. If you follow this advice, I can’t promise that you, too, will get your first choice agent, but I can promise that you will write a better query letter… And increase your odds of getting someone to read your manuscript.
Writers and actors SEEM so different don’t they? But they are really very similar, both striving to “live truthfully in imaginary circumstances.” This post will help writers begin to study the craft of acting to go deeper into characters, create more compelling scenes, and take their storytelling craft to the next level.
In his twenties and thirties, Leonardo created his share of masterpieces (including the Adoration of the Magi and Virgin of the Rocks), but it was after forty when he designed many of his most famous inventions and painted The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa. So, forget aging gracefully. Let Leonardo teach you how to age creatively.
On the day of Michelangelo’s death — February 18 — here are ten lessons the master has taught me about living a successful LIFE.
I’ve never had writer’s block, but ever since my debut novel Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo has come out (and become a bestseller and received great reviews), a voice in my head has grown louder: “What if that is the best book you ever write? What if the next one sucks? What if readers are disappointed?” I have no choice but to ignore that voice and keep writing, but the voice still haunts me.
Michelangelo was one of the most prolific and successful artists in history, but how did he do it?. How did this notoriously headstrong artist with a terrible temper (NOT from a wealthy, connected family) become arguably the most successful entrepreneur in history? And what can YOU learn from Michelangelo’s extraordinary success?
I LOVE the Minions and can’t wait for the new Minion movie to come out in Summer 2020! To celebrate the new movie, here’s a collection of ART HISTORY Minions to tide you over until next summer.
After studying the Renaissance for nearly 25 years — and writing books about it — I seen striking and strange similarities between our era and that era of exploding art and science from 500 years ago. So, here are my Top 10 Ways Our World is Like the Renaissance
At 42 years old, I feel I’ve spent my whole life being very reasonable. Perhaps it’s time for an era of unreasonableness. In honor of this, here are my top 10 favorite unreasonable artists. May they inspire us all to be a little less reasonable.
In honor of Leonardo da Vinci’s 565th birthday today (he was born on April 15, 1452), I’m celebrating with 10 of my favorite quotes attributed to the maestro (yes, many of these can be found in my novel, Oil and Marble).
Today, the Slovakian translation of my novel arrived. That’s two translations so far (the first was Spanish), and my publisher says there are more on the way. Oh, if I could’ve shown myself this picture when I was seven… or sixteen… twenty… thirty-eight.
I hear it all the time: To be happy, you must seek balance. “The only way to be a successful human being is to NOT be so obsessed with your work. Be obsessed with balance, instead! Balance between work and family, up time, downtime…” But no artist I admire has EVER sought a “work-life balance.” They work hard. Too hard. That’s what they do. That’s who they are. And that’s why they’re great.
A quick read about why every artists should take an acting class: spoiler alert, it’s all about empathy and expression!
Read about my new talk show, where I sit down with some of my fellow authors to talk process, passion, and what makes their writing relevant to your life today.
Because of Covid-19 and the CDC recommendations, I’m revising book tour — from physical to digital!
It’s finally official. My new novel is entitled Raphael, Painter in Rome. It will be published (once again by Arcade) on April 7, 2020 in time for the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death (he died on April 6, 1520).
Instead of only signing other people’s books, I’ve had friends, family and fans sign MY copy of my novel — all over the country. Today, my old beat up copy of Oil and Marble was retired.
One year into being a novelist, I’ve learned a lot… and in the end, I suppose, must just keep writing!
When Stephanie Storey dreamed of being a novelist as a kid, she didn’t imagine the reality… Here’s a glimpse into what it really means to be a “bestselling novelist.”
What author Stephanie Storey learned by selling everything to go on the road full time to sell her debut novel.
Author Stephanie Storey admits that she’s afraid to listen to her own audiobook and explores why all authors might have a difficult time letting their books go out into the real world.
Oil and Marble by Stephanie Storey came out in 2016. Here’s a look at what that moment felt like for the author.
In 2015, my husband and I sold everything — our condo, furniture, even books — to go on the road and sell my debut novel. Here’s where that story began.
The moment when Stephanie Storey got to announce to the world that Arcade Publishing was going to publish Oil and Marble.
Are you a book club, preparing for a discussion about one of my novels? Invite me to virtually join in the conversation if you want (I will if I can!) Or check out some suggested discussion questions…