Lately I’ve had the opportunity to read and comment on some stories written by new writers. What I’ve noticed is these writers are so eager to get their stories written, they end up TELLING the story rather than drawing the reader into the story. Often what we tell these writers is you need to SHOW […] [ ... ]
I don’t know when it happened, but sometime or another this month (or maybe it was this year) my brain ceased working. At least that’s how it feels. I thought I had a plot for my third Crows book, but evidently I don’t because I’m halfway through and I have no idea where to go […] [ ... ]
I’m having trouble discarding a preconceived notion. I’ve always considered books that were self-published as inferior, work that didn’t meet traditional publishing standards, books that lacked the qualities that make for a good read: tight writing, proper punctuation and sentence structure, and good story telling. More than once over the years I’ve been talked into […] [ ... ]
I think most writers, at one time or another, have met someone who said, “When I retire, I’m going to write a book.” They make it sound as if all they need is more time and they, too, will be able to accomplish what I or other published writers have accomplished. And maybe some of […] [ ... ]
Tuesday’s USA Today had an article in its LIFE section about a new category of novels: NA (New-Adult) (http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/04/15/new-adult-genre-is-the-hottest-category-in-book-publishing/2022707/) These books feature protagonists in the 18-to-early-20s age range. The stories have the emotional intensity of YA (young adult) novels, but include more mature themes—the freedom of living away from home, discovering who they are, and […] [ ... ]
One of the neat things about being a writer is basically you’re the boss. You can set your own hours, decide what you’re going to work on, and plan how you want the project (story) to turn out. One of the worst things about being a writer is you’re the boss. Yes, you […] [ ... ]
My family has come to Florida for sunshine and warmth. My diet is out the window, along with my writing, but it’s fun seeing everyone. No blog this week. [ ... ]
As some of you know, I’m trying to lose weight. I’ve lost a little, but it’s a slow process (we go out to eat way too much here in Florida), so I’ve started taking walks with my husband on the days I don’t go to yoga class. Today I had a rough time convincing myself […] [ ... ]
I’ve always thought I knew the difference between further and farther. You could further a discussion or further a career, but you had to go farther if you wanted to get anywhere. That’s what I thought, but I’ve heard and seen the two used almost interchangeably, not only with new writers, but also with seasoned […] [ ... ]
I’m sitting in front of a time bomb. No, not a real bomb, but I can practically hear it ticking away. I’m talking about my computer. It’s not that old, but almost from the day I purchased it, that imaginary bomb has been ticking away. I first realized there might be a problem when the […] [ ... ]
Are we there yet? We’ve heard that question from our kids and sometimes from our spouse. Whenever I teach a class on writing, I hear a similar question: How do you know when you’re finished? What the writer is asking is how do you know when the story you’ve written is the best it can […] [ ... ]
The SOS stands for Sleuthfest on Saturday which I attended last Saturday. First of all, it was close by, just a little more than 20 miles away. Second, some of my writer friends were speaking. Two good reasons to go. I arrived at the Hyatt Regency in Sarasota, Florida a little after 8:00 a.m., picked […] [ ... ]
I go to the pool to use the hot tub for my back and to listen to people talk. I admire writers who give their characters distinctive voices. Word usage, sentence structure, even the tempo of the speech can distinguish one character from another without the addition of dialogue tags or mentioning their names. Since […] [ ... ]
Others have given summaries of the LIM conference held last weekend (Feb. 1-3) in Chicago, so I’ll just touch on a few points. If you’re on Facebook, do a search for the Love is Murder page. 245 pictures were posted covering the three-day conference. Pictures do tell a story. On Friday, there were Master Classes […] [ ... ]
Thursday a cold front will hit the area where I spend my winters. That means the temperature is expected to drop from 80 degrees to the high 60s. Brrrrr. Right? Wrong, of course. So what am I doing tomorrow? I’m getting on a plane and heading north to Chicago where it truly will be cold. […] [ ... ]
This hasn’t been one of my better days. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I know it’s not as cold here in Florida as it is up north, but the temperature still dropped to 45 degrees last night and my husband (who’s always complaining he’s too hot) left the bedroom window open. […] [ ... ]
I’m on a diet. I’ve simply gained too much weight for my legs, hips, and back to handle without complaining. Often, especially with a rough draft, the same could be said: “It’s carrying too much weight (“fat”).” With both my writing and me the remedy is to trim the fat. For me it’s get rid of […] [ ... ]
What are you doing the weekend of April 19th-21st? Need a place to go to stimulate your creative juices? Want to spend time with a terrific writer? How about a chance to mingle with lots of great writers? THEN DO I HAVE THE PLACE FOR YOU. This year’s RETREAT FROM HARSH REALITY will be held the […] [ ... ]
This month I’m reading two very different books for the book clubs I belong to. One is Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, the other is How We Made Our First Million on Kindle. Actually, I haven’t started Hotel. That group meets at a later date than the one discussing How We Made […] [ ... ]
Sorry, no blog today. I’ve spent all day trying to figure out what I’ll need in Florida over the next 4 months. My bedroom is a mess. Clothes, computer files, art supplies, and suitcases all over the place. Tomorrow I need to make sure I have all the computer data I need saved on my […] [ ... ]