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Where Matters
A hand-in-hand drive near the beach or through the mountains wouldn't be anywhere near as romantic as traveling on a congested city freeway or an out-of-the-way swamp.My current series is set primarily...
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Chocolate, Naps and The Good Life - NOT!
"Now that you're not working and writing full-time, you must be living the easy life." Um, yeah, if you call twelve-hour days at the computer, plus writing in my head when not at the computer the easy...
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Deadlines: Self-Imposed and Self-Fulfilled
While working at home and writing full-time, setting realistic, doable deadlines is key.Factors to consider when taking out a calendar to set a completion date for writing activities and drafts include...
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Indiana Jones, Stephen King and Unearthing the Story
In Stephen King's book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, he refers to his stories as fossils and compares himself to an archeologist. He says the story is buried in the earth and as a writer he...
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"Sometimes it just be's that way."
"Sometimes it just be's that way," is one of my favorite colloquial sayings. Basically the saying depicts that there are times that life and what life throws our way just, well, IS.Not until my health...
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Has Persuing a Dream Gone the Way of the Twinkie?
Unless another company buys and continues the Hostess brand, Twinkies are goners."Yeah, right. You're going to write books for a living." That's the milder of responses I get about pursuing my dream of...
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"And miles to go before I sleep." (Robert Frost)
Fifty days ago, I began my 2nd First Draft of Book #1, Series #1. On Day 50, I completed the draft.For the rest of the week, I will work on addressing Kat Duncan's chapter-by-chapter writing...
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Getting Your Mad On (Sharing the Darkest of Emotions)
The final chapter of Book #1, Series #1, is filled with anger and grief. During the book, a five-year-old goes from a happy-go-lucky child to a willing destroyer, and in that last chapter, she destroys...
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Second Chances & Second First Drafts
Years ago, the first book I attempted to write went though multiple drafts. Despite years of effort, the book never worked, and I never got a handle on the story that I wanted to tell. After a hundred...
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Life Is Good (Gratitude and Appreciation)
Recently, I posted about Chocolate, Naps and the Good Life to address the impression about how easy writing full-time could be. While not an easy path, I am grateful that I am able to do what I've...
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Wannabes & Negative Inspiration
According to another author's blog post, which has since been removed by said author from the author's blog, I am a Wannabe.Wikipedia explains that a Wannabe (slang for "want to be") is a person with...
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A Writing Schedule? (What the Bleep!)
I write full-time, writing at home or wherever I can legitimately take my writing tool, NEO, thus my time is my own. So why would I, after finally reclaiming my days and after years of working...
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Scheduling Other Stuff, Fun Stuff and Rewards
Other Stuff, Fun Stuff and Rewards must be included on the calendar page and within my writing schedule, otherwise, no matter how much they need to be done or how much I enjoy them, they fall to the...
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“The skill to do comes from the doing.”
“The skill to do comes from the doing.” The saying is attributed to both Cicero and Emerson.Whoever said it and whether it's baking, writing, wildlife tracking, or any other learned skill, for me doing...
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The Red Cabbage Lady - Specifics in Revision
In my first draft, a former marine nicknames a woman the Vegetable Lady.Sometimes single words or short descriptions themselves elicit emotions.The word tree, replaced by the words oak or red maple,...
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Drama Belongs on the Page
Drama belongs on the page. Or the stage. Or in the movies. Not in my house or in my life. When I see others confuse and enmesh conflict and struggle with excitement and thrills, my standard response,...
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Confusion, Curiosity, Determination and Learning
Layering Editing is unfamiliar to me. Not having researched or even heard about this editing technique, I have to admit I'm more than a little confused about what to do and how to proceed with the...
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Rock Your Revisions
I recently finished my 2nd First Draft of Book #1, Series #1, and Cathy Yardley just released Rock Your Revisions. When I discovered Rock Your Revisions was available, I hopped out of my desk chair and...
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Time For Review - Rocking My Revision
According to Cathy Yardley's Rock Your Revisions, the first thing to do, after at least a two-week cooling off period, is to perform a Quick Read of your manuscript.First off, I have to confirm what...
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Where and When (Anchoring a Scene)
Where and when a scene takes place is the setting. Each scene takes place somewhere and within a span of time. Part of editing includes anchoring each scene in the where and when.For part of scene...
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