What is Good?
“Good writing is like a windowpane.” George Orwell I have reached a point where I hate to give reviews or critiques. I read a book or a manuscript, and I love it. Someone else comes along and tears the writing […] [ ... ]
Eat Crow and Die
I’m often asked where I get my ideas. The idea for Eat Crow and Die came to me back in 2008 when a boat exploded on the Black River in South Haven, Michigan. The explosion injured two men, a woman, and a child. Back then I didn’t know how I would use that idea. It […] [ ... ]
Plot or Characters?
I’ll admit, I’m more plot driven than character driven, but I learned early on that it doesn’t matter how good a plot might be if the readers don’t care about the characters, that book isn’t one they’ll remember or maybe even finish reading. And if I manipulate my characters so I can achieve the plot […] [ ... ]
BURNOUT
I’ve just about reached my limit on the emotional and physical energy needed to publicize my books. I’ve blogged, guest blogged (I have a few of those still to come), talked to groups (and scheduled talks) created rack cards (twice since I had to change the release dates from what I’d originally been told), made […] [ ... ]
Why Have Write Ins and Writing Retreats?
Some members of my local RWA® chapter have been having “Write Ins.” Members within an area (Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Lansing, etc.) are notified that there will be a Write In at a restaurant or coffee shop on a specific day at a specific time. Those who want to attend will then arrive at the specified location, set […] [ ... ]
Finding the RIGHT Publisher
There are hundreds of publishers: magazine publisher, book publishers. Fiction and non-fiction publishers. Big, well-know publishers. Medium-sized publishers. Small publishers. University publishers. One-man (or woman) publishers. Take a look at the list on Wikipedia. Book Publishers Finding the right publisher for your book isn’t always easy and can be a gamble. I’m sure most writers […] [ ... ]
Best Laid Plans II
Every time I think I have things under control, I discover it’s a delusion. Last fall I thought I had a book coming out in March and one in June. Closer than I wanted the release of the two books to be, but not terrible. I visited Vista Print and had some Tray Cards made […] [ ... ]
Circles of Fate
Last year Pam Thibodeaux offered me four spots in 2015 on her blogspot. (www.pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com) On May 9th she ran the 3rd of those blogs, that one was about A Killer Past, and in July she’ll run the 4th blog, which will be about Eat Crow and Die. This is just one of many examples of the […] [ ... ]
To Market, To Market
I love writing. Sometimes the words and ideas flow. Other times, I feel as though I’m dragging them out of my head. But after a while I have a rough draft, then I edit and edit and edit until I feel the story is ready to go public. I query, wait, hope, and if the […] [ ... ]
Lessons Learned as a Free-Lance Writer
The A-to-Z Blogging Challenge is over. My thanks to those of you who joined me (if only once or twice) in my journey from A to Z. I’m feeling a bit “blogged out” and have asked my long time friend and fellow writer, Ardyce Czuchna-Curl, if she would take over my blog today and impart […] [ ... ]
Z is for Zenith
Zenith is the made up name for the town in my P.J. Benson mysteries. Why Zenith? The answer to that is easy. When I started the first book in that series, I was living just outside of Climax, Michigan. In The Crows I wrote about what I knew. But I needed to alter the landscape […] [ ... ]
Y is for Youth
Okay, I’m getting old. That or they’re starting to hire news reporters, financial advisors, and doctors straight out of grammar school. I don’t think of myself as old, but whenever I look in the mirror, there’s this old lady who reminds me of my mother who keeps looking back at me. I wasn’t exactly young […] [ ... ]
X is for …?
What can I come up with for X? X-ray, Xanadu, X chromosome, xebec (that’s a 3-masted sailing ship), xylem, Xena… My dictionary devotes barely a page and a third to X words. I have some Xanax in my medicine closet. I use it occasionally to help me sleep when ideas start bouncing around in my head. When […] [ ... ]
W is for Walking
I’m not a person who enjoys participating in sports. I loved riding horses, but I no longer do that. To simply exercise doesn’t excite me, though I do like yoga. Swimming is okay, but I mostly tread water nowadays. And even though I like the idea of water aerobics, the classes are held earlier than […] [ ... ]
V is for Valleys
I, and most writers, suffer a form of manic/depressive. When we have a new idea buzzing in our heads, we’re euphroic, positive thinkers, and have high energy. Be a finalist in a contest, or better yet, a winner, and we’re on cloud 9. Have an agent tell us we’re wonderful and that she wants us as […] [ ... ]
U is for Unexpected
One of the things I’ve learned to enjoy about writing is the unexpected—the sudden appearance of information I need, the unexpected meeting of just the right person I need to talk to. I’ve now reached a point where I almost expect it, yet it’s still thrilling and sometimes unnerving. Some call it serendipity, others label […] [ ... ]
T is for Twitter
I have a Twitter account. @marisSouthHaven. I Tweet. I retweet. I favor tweets. I have no idea what I’m doing. Several years ago I watched Jane Friedman demonstrate how to manage a tweet account. She made it look so easy. I went home and downloaded a program that was supposed to do that. I never […] [ ... ]
S is for Seventy
My protagonist in A Killer Past is a seventy-four-year-old woman. Mary Harrington is a widow and a grandmother, but she’s not someone who sits on the sidelines, knitting and letting others take action. She’s typical of a vast number of women (and men) in their seventies, myself included, I hope. She’s active, both mentally and […] [ ... ]
R is for Rhodesian Ridgebacks
I may now own a miniature poodle, but my heart still belongs to the Rhodesian Ridgeback. I fell in love with the breed back in 1969 when I first saw them at a dog show in Santa Barbara, California. By 1970 my husband and I owned one, along with a rescue dog of mixed heritage, […] [ ... ]
Q is for Query
Writing a query letter (or email query) is not an easy task for most people. On one page–usually no more than four or five paragraphs in length–the writer must entice and inform. A story must be condensed from thousands of words down to a mere 100-200 words. The query letter must not only give a […] [ ... ]