As I’ve mentioned, I’m both starting a new novel and presenting a workshop on outlining. For the workshop, I will be talking about the Snowflake Method developed. by Randy Ingermanson, so I decided to try it for my new story. It’s not easy… …but, if you’re a plotter, you may love it. Step 1: Basically […] [ ... ]
I’ve reached a point with this new story where I need to decide if the setting will be an actual (real) location or one I make up. For my Crow books (The Crows, As the Crow Flies, and Eat Crow and Die), I used an imaginary town (Zenith) which was based loosely on a real […] [ ... ]
I just spent an hour writing one paragraph, and I might end up deleting all of that. Why? Because I’m writing it from the point of view of a character I don’t really know. He’s in a bar—not an elegant one, but a hole-in-the-wall type—drinking to forget something. What? What is he trying to forget? […] [ ... ]
I’m more of a pantser than a plotter. I always try to plot out a story, but along the way things change—characters take over. When I started my writing career, I had to submit a synopsis and the first 3 chapters, so, I created a rough outline for myself and wrote a synopsis. However, my […] [ ... ]
I belong to a fairly large critique group here in Florida, and I’m always amazed by how diverse the comments are about a piece of work. We usually critique two pieces during the meeting. We receive (via email downloads) the work a week before we meet, giving everyone a chance to read the two pieces […] [ ... ]
In a few more days we will once again be tempted to make New Year’s Resolutions. But what about the ones you made last year? Did they all fall by the wayside or did you follow through and succeed? I don’t remember what resolutions I made last New Year’s Day. Oh, I’m sure the usual […] [ ... ]
If you are writing a text book, or a travel brochure, or any type of non-fiction, it’s fine to go into detail about how something works or looks or the history of its origin, but if you are writing fiction, all that detail may hurt the story. Fiction is storytelling. It is the narrator sitting […] [ ... ]
Getting enough sleep is often difficult for a writer. During the Christmas season it can be even more difficult. In addition to visions of candy canes and sugar plums dancing in our heads, we have plot points, character development, or the fear of that dreaded word—writer’s block. Back on September 7, 2016 I wrote a […] [ ... ]
Ah, to be a writer. If you write romances, it’s satin sheets and bonbons as you sit on your bed and type on your laptop (or dictate to your secretary). For others, it’s a private office, either in your mansion or New York apartment. Editors come to your home to praise your work. A wife […] [ ... ]
Have you tried doing freelance writing? I was at writers’ meeting last week and one of the members told us about the freelance writing she does. (She’s also working on a full length novel.) To earn money now (while waiting for royalty checks), she takes assignments from TextBroker where she can pick the assignment she […] [ ... ]
Writers are often asked where they get their ideas. Most of us say we get them from everywhere: newspapers, TV, real events, family dynamics, travel, and so on. Some story ideas seem to come full-blown. Others need to be pulled out of our imaginations. The same is true of characters. Some characters simply are. Oh, […] [ ... ]
I’ve been writing for many years and during that time I’ve heard and learned many of the buzzwords associated with writing. Many have been around for decades, while others seem to suddenly pop up. What is a buzzword? Merriam-Webster defines it as “an important-sounding usually technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly […] [ ... ]
Recently a writer friend said her website was blah and asked if my daughter could help her, so this coming Saturday my daughter and I will make a “house” call to see what exactly is needed to give the writer’s website some sparkle. Meanwhile, I thought I’d check what others say a website needs in […] [ ... ]
I recently tried something new–a Viking cruise. (From Paris, France, to Luxembourg, to German towns along the Moselle River and the middle Rhine River, to, finally, Zurich, Switzerland) My head is filled with images, bits of conversation, smells, and sounds. I’ve seen cathedrals, cathedrals, and more cathedrals. Some I’ll remember, others I won’t. The image […] [ ... ]
Recently I attended an “Authors’ Day” event that was held on a Saturday at the Tamarack District Library, 105 miles from my home. I left my house at 7:00 a.m. and returned home around 4:00 p.m. There were 19 authors spread throughout the library. My table was located in an ideal spot, almost directly in […] [ ... ]
This week, Lainee Cole is visiting my blog to talk about AT MIDNIGHT, an anthology that she’s in. Welcome, Lainee. Tell me about AT MIDNIGHT AT MIDNIGHT includes three love stories: Midnight Casanova, written by me, Lainee Cole; Two Days Until Midnight, by Lynn Crandall; and Midnight Deadline for Love, by Rena Koontz. Each story features an […] [ ... ]
We’re told the most important selling tools for a book are the cover and the back blurb. With traditional publishers, the author usually doesn’t have control over either. Oh, we’re asked for suggestions, but the editor, or art department, or marketing department is usually the one who makes the final decisions. (Unless you’re a best […] [ ... ]