Wherever you are tomorrow, and with whomever, I hope you have a delightful day. 2020 has been a year filled with so much confusion, division, and trepidation, sometimes it’s difficult to be thankful, but do take a few minutes to focus on the positive, whatever that might be. I have much to be thankful for: […] [ ... ]
I’ve never really had to deal with back material other than supplying an acknowledgment page, if it was appropriate, and a bio. Anything else that was added after the end of the story was supplied by my publisher. With Harlequin and Silhouette, that material often included snippets of other books available that month, how to […] [ ... ]
How good is your eyesight? Can you catch all of the errors in your manuscript? I’m in the process of doing a final read-through before I send my manuscript for Something to Crow About to my editor. The ms has been read, criticized, and edited by four Beta Readers. And, of course, before I sent […] [ ... ]
How much backstory does a reader need in order to understand a character, and how soon does the writer need to include that information? The answer to the first part of that question is the usual—it depends. When to include the information is a little easier to pinpoint, but not always. Okay, you’re probably thinking, […] [ ... ]
Tomorrow, October 22nd, A KILLER PAST will be available as an e-book. No, this isn’t a new book, but for over two years Mary Harrington’s story in e-book fashion has been missing, and its disappearance is a good example of how little control most authors have over their books. Originally, A KILLER PASTwas published in […] [ ... ]
I’m in the process of writing a blurb for the book I just finished. Blurbs and synopses, in my opinion, are as difficult (or maybe more difficult) as writing a book. In a limited number of words, I need to convey enough of the story to entice readers to want to purchase the book. Or, […] [ ... ]
Last week I blogged about finishing the rough draft of the book I’ve been working on. To my surprise, a couple people asked where they could now buy the book. This question reminded me that many readers and new writers don’t understand the steps necessary between finishing the rough draft and actually having a book […] [ ... ]
Last week I typed “The End” on a story I’ve been working on for four years. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to write this story. I haven’t suffered any earthshaking catastrophe, loss, or illness (other than a few months of pain when I broke my back), and I didn’t need months […] [ ... ]
Do you suffer from exclamation point glut? Not sure? Do a “Find” and type the exclamation point (!) in. How many do you have in your manuscript? More than one? If so, is its use justified? The exclamation point is often used in text messages. Sometimes in abundance!!! But please don’t use them in abundance […] [ ... ]
Anyone who has read one of my P.J. Benson Mysteries (THE CROWS, AS THE CROW FLIES, EYE OF THE CROW, and EAT CROW AND DIE) knows Baraka, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, plays an important part in each of the stories. No, P.J.’s dog doesn’t solve mysteries, doesn’t talk to her, and doesn’t always make her life […] [ ... ]
Last week another writer asked me why I wrote a while instead of awhile in the following sentence: After a while, I didn’t notice the cigarette smell. Years ago, I would have written awhile, but after having editors change that to a while so many times, I now automatically split the word without thinking of […] [ ... ]
Writing a contemporary novel is dangerous. The time between when you write it, when it’s published, and when someone reads the story can bring about many changes. With historical novels, the settings, weaponry, devices, language, mores are pretty well set. A writer might fudge a little, have a heroine more modernistic than normal for the […] [ ... ]
I haven’t been blogging lately because I haven’t felt I had anything new to say. Over the years I’ve written about formatting, grammar and punctuation. I’ve suggested sites that cover marketing, new markets, and markets to avoid. I’ve reported on conferences I’ve attended, what editors and agents want (at least at the time), and what […] [ ... ]
The coronavirus has made many changes in our lives. Writers are facing new challenges in ways to promote their books. Bookstores have been closed (some are reopening, but author talks and signings have been cancelled); physical author tours have been cancelled; conferences have been cancelled; libraries are still closed, which means talks at libraries have […] [ ... ]
You do not need a degree in English or journalism to be a writer, but you do need to be a reader. At least, to be a “good” writer you need to be a reader. And you need to read wonderful books and terrible books. Why? Because you learn from both. Whether you’re a person […] [ ... ]
You’ve written a story that you think is really good. You want it published. Here are 5 questions you need to answer. 1. Is your manuscript in publishable shape right now? No spelling errors, typos, or inconsistencies in the story? Don’t plan on an editor correcting your errors. Yes, the editor will probably suggest changes, […] [ ... ]
The Coronavirus has given many writers a guilt-free excuse to sit at the computer and write, but I’m hearing some writers admit to wasting this opportunity. Instead of writing, they’re doing jigsaw puzzles (in March sales of jigsaw puzzles surged), binge watching TV, reading (for pleasure and escape, in many cases), taking up knitting/crocheting/quilting, gardening, […] [ ... ]
Do you have a series bible? I wish I did. There are various types of writing bibles. Some include everything from the plot line and motivation for the stories to character descriptions and proposed sequels. Writers who know they’re going to write a series may include the overall arc of their main characters from the […] [ ... ]
Do you know the correct way to use an ellipsis? I use ellipses a lot. (Note, the spelling switches from an i to an e for the plural.) In fact, according to one person who judged Echoes of Terror for the Florida Writers’ Association’s 2017 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition, I used the ellipsis way […] [ ... ]
On-line, members of a writers’ group I belong to have been posting what they’ve been doing during the lockdown. I’ve been interested in the responses–which vary from watching a lot of TV to accomplishing a couple thousand words a day–because I’ve done almost no creative writing in the last month. I also haven’t been binge […] [ ... ]