Okay. Rene and I don't write exactly the same genre. She's sassy comic romance where I'm trying to be strictly sweet. Trying. She's flirty with the lines--steamy in places--where I'm firmly drawing some. For a change. Bedroom doors weren't always shut in my earlier writing ventures, but life brings many changes. Although I could be… Continue reading Sit-down with Rene Penn; dear friend, soul sister, and a hilariously good writer!
Here's a hilarious Party City "line" idea. Halloween may be a ways away, but the costumes in store are getting to me! Question: What makes you click a buy link? Seriously. What makes you pause – gasp for breath – and think, oh yeah, I’m so doing this? We all have lines. Moral, financial, and… Continue reading Ads, Ads, and More Ads. Marketing makes the world go around.
It's supposed to be FUN! Summer is here and I’m so glad. The gentle breezes, the abundance of birds and squirrels, the SUN. I never believed I was dependent on the latter. Having grown up in San Jose, California, I took sunshine for granted. Truth is I longed as a child to move somewhere I… Continue reading Overcoming Summer Stall: A writer’s guide to get going.
The awesome strength of nature is amazing to behold. Hey guys. I hope everyone is enjoying the shift in seasons and that nasty weather is on the decline. (We had a corker lightning storm Saturday night. Full on cracking, white light flashing in the wee hours. Lovely. But I'm weird that way.) Meanwhile, I'm back… Continue reading Sit-down with Lana Higginbotham: Get to know the spirit behind the stories
No, seriously. If you want to write well, check out this must read by short story novelist and reading enthusiast Kayla Ann. Published and well on her way to holding a Masters in English/Creative writing, she gets the impulse to forge on.
What serious writer doesn’t?
The MUSE is demanding if nothing else. She can also hide a great many warts that we writers will not see if we rush to get our darlings out the door. Don’t believe me? Read on…and I hope you’ll join me in following Kayla Ann.
“But Kayla,” you may ask me, “how can you tell me to stop writing? Shouldn’t we keep writing? After all, we are writers! How can we be writers if we are not writing? How does stopping our writing actually help our writing? Isn’t that contradictory?”
Now before you turn away from me and shake your head in disgust, hear me out.
I’m not saying that we should stop all writing. I am saying that you should stop working on the project you’re currently working on once you have finished it. For writers there is this huge urge that once we finally finish a project we automatically want to go back through, edit, and send it to a publisher. It’s just not realistic guys. In order for a work to be good you need to utilize the power of distance.
David Austin Lady of Shalott rose. I love, love, love it! Do you want to bloom? Reach your peak? Do you want passersby to stop and admire those showy blooms and drink in that intoxicating fragrance? It all begins with proper care and feeding. That’s right. Authors are like rose bushes, roots dug deep into… Continue reading Care and Feeding of Roses: Not Your Everyday Garden Guide
Trekkie fans. I KNOW you're out there. If you follow my blog -- GREAT -- if not, I hope you will. But for all things Star Trek, I'd be a real a real Ferengi if I didn't share my latest find -- SPACE TIME Magazine. (Life doesn't revolve around profit!) Alexa Wayne is ready and… Continue reading Star Trek Discovery – The Second Season
Which are YOU? Slow and steady wins the race. How often have you heard that tortoise and the hare reference? I’ve lived with it my whole life since I have a fascination with shelled babies. And yet a tendency to go wild-hare trips me up too often. (Remember, I’m the one who almost stomped her… Continue reading Slow and Steady: Writer’s Life Lessons from the Oldest Animal on Earth!
Walk away, Renée–that Left Banke ’60’s classic–was a memorable song from my growing up. Why? I was almost named Renée–far more exotic than Ann, but there you go. My mom cooked plain food, too.
As fate would have it, though, I’m not able to walk away.
Good thing or else I’d be missing out! So here I am with another insightful Renée–aspiring author Renée Hurteau–whose on point advice for writers is absolutely golden.
I open my file, glance with trepidation at the myriad red marks and comment bubbles throughout, and promptly close it again. I just can’t. Not right now.
Instead, I thought this might be a good time to share some of my thoughts on editing for any of my fellow writers that have found their way here.
Editing, a crucial element to any good story, is difficult. In the beginning, when you first finish writing and hand it off eagerly to third parties for their feedback, it sometimes can seem like a personal affront when their constructive criticism comes back. However, you shouldn’t take it as one! Constructive criticism is vital to a story that people can immerse themselves in. One misspelled word, one convoluted, hard to read sentence, is enough to jar them out of a state of suspended disbelief. What about that small but glaring plot hole you missed?…
ANN MALLEY 