Recently I was asked to critique mss written by two new writers. In both cases, the writers were/are struggling with how to indicate a character’s thoughts. They knew the thoughts weren’t supposed to be placed within quote marks, but they also knew they couldn’t put all of the character’s thoughts in italics. So how to […] [ ... ]
I didn’t write a blog last week because I was still on a cruise ship on Wednesday, sailing from Cozumel to Tampa. The cruise was wonderful. Five days of being treated like royalty…and being told there were wonderful bargains to be had, onboard and off. I did see a Goya etching I liked, but I […] [ ... ]
It’s Wednesday night and I’m just now writing my blog. In three days I leave on a 5-day cruise, I need to pack, I need to get revisions off to my editor, I need to clean house and prepare food since I’m having guests over to dinner tomorrow night, I need to contact my tax person […] [ ... ]
This week I’m working on revisions to my third “Crows” book (Eat Crow and Die), but I’m also still mulling over all I learned while attending Sleuthfest 2014. The sessions I sat in on primarily followed various publishing options and promotion. With over a million books being published each year, either by traditional publishers or […] [ ... ]
Last week I received my manuscript back from my editor with a list of requested revisions. Actually it’s not a written list/letter (what I used to receive when manuscripts were submitted and edited in hardcopy) but the electronic version of the ms with “comments” and “track changes” editing. Some of the requested changes are because […] [ ... ]
Last week I attended Sleuthfest 2014 in Orlando, Florida. For four days I was surrounded by writers and bombarded with ideas. Friday and Saturday there were four tracks offered each hour providing information and ideas ranging from basic writing tips to how to keep up with the changes in publishing. (As if that were possible.) […] [ ... ]
You’ve written a book and now it’s time to start thinking about selling it. Whether you send the manuscript off to an agent or an editor or decide to self-publish, you need to indicate the genre. That is, you need to let others know how it would be classified. “Why?” you might say. Well, one […] [ ... ]
Today isn’t my normal day to blog, but I was asked by Annette Briggs to participate in a “Writing Process Blog Hop.” It’s sort of like tag. You’re asked to participate, and if you agree, you’re assigned a date to answer 4 questions and asked to find 3 writers to follow you. Annette “tagged” me, […] [ ... ]
My daughter is visiting this week. She thinks she’s on vacation. Monday I proved her wrong and put her to work on my website. Mia is my web-mistress, but usually we have to communicate via phone or emails. It was nice to sit next to her and be able to say, “I like that. I […] [ ... ]
I recently joined the Florida Writers Association ( http://www.floridawriters.net ) here in Florida. It’s a state-wide group, but it has several chapters, one meeting roughly 5 minutes away from my place. I have no idea how many writers belong to this chapter, but they meet twice a month and there have been around 15 people […] [ ... ]
I’ve always tried to live by the Golden Rule of “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” Last week I read a book by Barry Eisler, and I started thinking of how important it is as a writer to always think about how you treat, talk to, react to, and act around […] [ ... ]
The experts say one way to manage stress is to avoid those situations which cause stress. Well, I can name two ways for me to avoid stress. 1. Don’t write a book 2. Don’t submit the book to an agent or editor I remember back when I started writing and sent my manuscript off in […] [ ... ]
I need new business cards. If you’re a writer, whether you’re published or not, business cards are important. Even before you’ve sold a book, you need to be carrying your cards with you. If you attend a writers’ meeting or conference, a business card is a must. You simply never know when you might meet […] [ ... ]
Today I’m pleased to introduce Ellen Larson. I met Ellen last spring at MWA’s one-day conference, “Sleuthfest in Sarasota,” and discovered she is also a Five Star/Gale/Cengage mystery writer. Her first book with Five Star, In Retrospect, was released December, 2013. When the two of us are in Florida (escaping the cold winters up north), we […] [ ... ]
This month (all 8 days of it) I started transcribing my last Harlequin Temptation —STORYBOOK HERO—so I can put it out as an e-book. That book was published in 1989, before I started writing for Bantam’s Loveswept line, before my editor there chastised me about “head-hopping.” For anyone not familiar with this term, head-hopping is […] [ ... ]
What are your goals for 2014? (Notice, I said goals, not resolutions. Resolutions are those promises you make to yourself and then rapidly forget. Goals are what we work toward.) I have several goals in mind for 2014. 1. To work closely with my editor at Robert Hale Ltd. so my “former assassin” book—A KILLER […] [ ... ]
Santa is busy checking his list, making sure he has everything right. He certainly doesn’t want to give the wrong gift to a child. What Santa is doing is similar to what a writer must do before considering a manuscript ready for publication. (It’s what I’m doing with my work in process.) Before Santa takes […] [ ... ]
Below you’ll find a letter I received today from the Authors Guild. It included a request to share the letter with other writer friends. I decided to do so through my blog. I am a member of the Authors Guild. I’m not saying all writers need to join the Authors’ Guild (it is quite expensive), but […] [ ... ]
Nowadays many writers are rethinking the need for an agent. With the rise in e-book sales, the ease of self-publishing (without paying big bucks), and the lack of marketing on the part of traditional publishers, many writers wonder what an agent can do for them. Why bother trying to sell to the BIG NAME publishers […] [ ... ]