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Listen to Me Now! (Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Software)
Hearing my story read back to me has been a phenomenal help to my story crafting! The suggestion that I read my writing out loud has always caused me a great deal of discomfort; therefore, having the...
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Keeping On (Even When Your Butt's Dragging)
My rear end is bumping over plowed rows of ground filled with tractor tire ruts and dirt clods. Persistent. Determined. Dogged. Single-Minded. Resolute. How about adding Stubborn to the mix? Maybe...
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Lessons from The Profit Applied to Writing
The Profit, staring Marcus Lemonis, is a reality show appearing on CNBC. Marcus tackles failing businesses, invests, and assists the owners, if the deal works out, in rebuilding and relaunching their...
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Today is the Day: Sunday - September 1, 2013
Inspired by Author Dean Wesley Smith, who's at it again with a year-long Public Writing challenge, I intend to maintain a daily writing progress journal. Right now, due to continual health issues,...
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Today is the Day: Monday - September 2, 2013
In attempt to help with my focus and concentration, which is skewed due to dratted health issues, I am blogging each day as to my writing/revision progress.Writing-wise, a slow day yesterday, yet I...
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Today is the Day: Tuesday - September 3, 2013
With longer appointments than expected, today was a bust revision-wise.However, Dean Wesley Smith has completed 50,000+ words of a novel in 12 days.Inspiring and exciting!So much so, I signed up for...
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Ready for Tomorrow
Although, today has been a productive satisfying day, writing-wise and otherwise, I have decided to forgo daily progress reports... The time spent logging how I spent my writing time takes away from...
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Walking the Talk
Years ago, when I worked so much and so often in day jobs, I talked about writing. A lot! Yet, the one thing I failed to do was actually WRITE.To anyone who listened, I shared with anyone that would...
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Entering Revision Hell (Officially)
The door creaks as I push the weight forward. From the other side of the doorway, heat flames my face. For the next two weeks, I have entered Revision Hell. (I didn't quite understand why writers used...
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Not All Aspects of Revision Are One and the Same
The many aspects of revision, such as Redeveloping, Restructuring, Rewriting, Putting In, Taking Out, Editing, Copy Editing, Proofing, and Polishing, are not one and the same. Starting at an overall...
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You want me to give up what?
Should an author choose traditional publishing, the author has little or no control of or say-so about:TitleBlub DescriptionCoverRevision / Editing Choices Book PricingDistribution OutletsNumber of...
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The Ugly Font (And Other Proofreading Tips)
Yikes, my computer screen is filled with an ugly font. Yet, this ugly font seems to make grammar or punctuation errors on the monitor jump out. Apparently, ugly fonts help proofreading because they...
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Balance in a Topsy-Turvy Writing World
This past week, IÂ learned that I can edit and pace up to five (5) chapters per day. *IF* I don't take time to shower or cook and limit bathroom breaks. Never mind the shoulder muscle aches and the...
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No Book is Perfect (Repeat After Me!)
NO book is perfect. No BOOK is perfect. No book IS perfect. No book is PERFECT. No matter which aspect you emphasize, no book is perfect. Not ever.Whether traditionally or independently published,...
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Hooded Eyelids and Other Character Flaws
Just like for each of us in real life, character flaws can define who a fictional character is, where they are coming from, and why they are behaving the way they behave. In a former job, a coworker...
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Trick or Treat? (My Edits Are Back!)
The edited file of Book #1 sits in an email as an attachment. The email came in early morning. My first reaction was a gut-punch thrill (It's here. I'm finally to the real-live THE END phase. OMG!)...
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A Matter of Time and Time Matters
After years of not punching in and out on a time clock, I'm back on the clock! Using Klok Personal Time Tracking software has made time tracking EASY and has tripled my writing productivity.I have...
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Cheers and Fears (Now what?)
Finally, I was able to open the edited file of Book #1. The editing suggestions were concise and minor. Truth be told, much less than I expected and dreaded. Once I started accepting and making the...
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Blocked and Loving It!
No, I am not experiencing writer's block, thank goodness!In order to work on revisions, I blocked my access to the internet; thus, I achieved more in two days this week than I have been accomplishing...
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Turtle, Turtle, Turtle (Realistic Goals)
I've always heard the staying, "It takes as long as it takes," but dang. Best laid plans aside, I didn't finish my five-book YA Paranormal Thriller series in six months. Not even in a year. The...
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