Story Fix: Transform Your Novel from Broken to Brilliant by Larry Brooks is intended to help authors “reinvigorate” rejected novels, but I found it lacking in tangible instruction and full of discouragement. Why I picked it up: I was looking through Writing Voice: The Complete Guide to Creating a Presence on the Page and EngagingContinue reading “Craft Book Review: Story Fix”
Tag Archives: writing
Gobolinks and Blottentots
You may recognize these inkblots from my last post. The image on the left looked to me like two teddy bears playing with a ball from the moment I made it. The image on the right, however, originally looked like an angelic figure or winged creature (turned 180°), but when I looked at it again,Continue reading “Gobolinks and Blottentots”
Reaping A Bountiful Harvest
I find no meal more satisfying than the one picked fresh from my garden. This year’s harvest is turning out to be very exciting. This year is the year of vine vegetables and many kinds of kale. Yum. The beauties pictured above were used for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast this morning I hadContinue reading “Reaping A Bountiful Harvest”
Author Interview with Diana Rose Wilson – November: It’s not just #NaNoWriMo. Don’t forget #Movember.
Last month, author Diana Rose Wilson shared her great writing tips and tricks in her guest post Be Outrageous! Now, just in time for her favorite holiday, Halloween, she has agreed to answer my questions about her writing, her websites and her love of mustaches. We met at the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Conference (#PNWC16), soContinue reading “Author Interview with Diana Rose Wilson – November: It’s not just #NaNoWriMo. Don’t forget #Movember.”
Beware The Creeping Nouns
I am reading A Writer’s Coach: The Complete Guide to Writing Strategies That Work by Jack Hart. Though it is geared toward journalism, the information is useful and inspiring for my fiction. One sign of a skilled writer is avoiding redundancy. Mr. Hart uses the analogy of felling a tree. The skilled woodsman takes efficientContinue reading “Beware The Creeping Nouns”
About Writing: Guest post by Michael Onofrey
The urge to write is what got me into writing fiction, or trying to write fiction. And by “urge” I mean a feeling that I want to write. This was what motivated me and what continues to motivate me. I don’t think this is unusual—the urge to write. A lot of people have it. ButContinue reading “About Writing: Guest post by Michael Onofrey”
Twitter #Hashtags That Motivate Revision
Twitter did not appeal to me at first (or second or third). So why, you ask, would I write this post? Recently, I find myself enjoying it more and more. There are lots of fun challenges for writers and the character limitation ends up being a great revision tool. How Twitter can help your revisionContinue reading “Twitter #Hashtags That Motivate Revision”
The Pessimistic Moustache Game: Avoiding cliche description
The idea and tools I recently read The Hollow by Agatha Christie and one simple but unique description jumped out at me. “He came in accompanied by Inspector Grange, who was a large, heavy built man with a down-drooping, pessimistic moustache.” I love the idea of pessimistic facial hair and it really got meContinue reading “The Pessimistic Moustache Game: Avoiding cliche description”
Want More Readers?
While preparing my next newsletter, I noticed that my last one had a bunch of great information in it. I don’t want anyone to miss out, so here it is to give you a taste of what goes into my newsletters. If you like it, please sign up to get monthly installments and your freeContinue reading “Want More Readers?”
Radio Inspire Me: A Fun, New (to me) Writing Exercise
My excitement with Future Learn’s Fiction Course continues. One of the exercises from week two is to turn on the radio and come up with a story or beginning of a story (500 words) based on what you hear. I was skeptical but determined to try, so I set my radio to AM and slowlyContinue reading “Radio Inspire Me: A Fun, New (to me) Writing Exercise”
Experience Writing 