Category Archives: Writer
I guess two posts in one day don’t count…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It seems that my readers were worried since I didn’t post at my normal weird hour. My excuse? After writing for hours, I was caught up in reading, doing minor rewrites on my mystery and by the time I put it down it was an even weirder hour than normal for me.
I thought about posting, but then I figured that after posting twice yesterday I ‘d already fulfilled my quota.
Yes, the one was only a photo memorial to 9/11. I felt there wasn’t much more one could say about it that hasn’t already been said and the pictures were a better reminder. As a writer I should know better.
I promise, at my normal weird hour tonight/tomorrow, I will post again. I wasn’t slacking off–truly I wasn’t.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Support writers—READ!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I love reading new authors’ books. I search them out in my local Borders and I hope that someday other people will do the same with mine. When I worked in a book store, it was my job to keep both the Mystery and Sci Fi sections up to date, restocked, and I had the honor of making selections of new books to add to the shelves.
I am saddened that so many book stores are going or have gone out of business. Don’t leave it up to me to keep book stores and other writers in business. Go buy some new books and get reading. Sure, you could go to your local library but if you are anything like me, you have more books in your favorite genre than they do, and better ones!
I’d rather write or read than watch TV. Yes, when I’m not writing, I’m reading. Heck, I burned through two mysteries tonight. I needed a break from the major rewrite I’m doing. If you like mysteries, check out the writers in my writers community list. As I discover new ones I do add the authors to the list.
Posted in My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Waking your sleeping muse
Posted by doggonedmysteries
There’s nothing like a good brainstorming session to shake the cobwebs out and wake up your muse. I know because Dave and I had a lovely IM session today. We tossed some ideas back and forth and managed to jump start our writing. We don’t do this very often. In fact, we only do it when one of us is at wits end and screams for help from the other.
Later today I get together with my critiquing group and will break the news that I’m killing off a character—well, two of them sort of. The one will remain but won’t have the separate chapters I’d put him in they weren’t working either. They are going to kill me.
If your muse has taken a snooze, why not get together with friends and see if they can help you out with a brainstorming session. Offer them free coffee and snacks if they’ll play ‘what if’ with you. Sometimes all it takes is a chance to bounce ideas off someone.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Fiction, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Killing off a character who isn’t earning his keep
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I E-mailed two of my friends a few days ago to tell them I was killing off a character. I told them he wasn’t working. He was a cardboard cut out and had no life. He didn’t contribute enough to the story to justify keeping him. Killing him off gave my main character, Linnie many more options than before. However, by doing this I…OMG…have to do many little changes. In the end, I believe it will work and the book will be better by far.
High ho high ho it’s off to work I go…
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Fiction, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Will multiple sidekicks work?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
With each book I write, Linnie’s sidekick could be the same. However, I think it might work to use a different one in each subsequent book. I have several characters who are clamoring for the job. In Doggoned Dead, there’s Perry. In Doggoned Bullseye, I think one of the other characters would work better. In Doggoned Bones, her cousin seems to fit the bill.
What do you think? In a series mystery, does it matter to you if the sidekick changes according to the storyline? I won’t mix and match several in one book I don’t think that would work.
Why am I writing a mystery series? I love reading them. I enjoy getting to know the characters. The idea of picking up a book that has a familiar set of characters appeals to me.
Do you read mystery series? What do like best about a mystery series? What turns you off? Come on people, let me hear your opinions.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
The night owl advantage
Posted by doggonedmysteries
From the hours of midnight to 5 a.m., the city quiets down. It’s so peaceful that, on the odd occasion, I can hear the trains from the other side of town. When I’m outside, all I hear is our waterfall, fountains, crickets, and frogs. The occasional siren or passing car intrudes but not too often.
Inside the dogs are snoring quietly and the phone is silent. Ideally, the TV is off. I write. The dinner dishes sit in the sink all rinsed and ready for washing. They will keep for a while.
With coffee close to hand and some inspiration, my nightly post grows. I read the comments on my blog and answer them. I reply to E-mails and my books take on new life. I play with words, phases, expressions, dialogue, and characters. I hope to take my readers on a journey into a good mystery with twists, turns, and a resolution at the end.
Around about 4 a.m., I take the dogs out, do my dishes, and go to bed.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
What do you do with an uncooperative character?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’m having difficulty with one of my characters. He doesn’t seem to be working as well as I hoped he would. However, the story falls flat without him since he is an important character. Now comes the time either to lose him or fix him. This is not an easy decision.
What would you do if you have a character that doesn’t seem quite right? Do you rewrite him numerous times to fix him or do you continue plodding on with the story and hope that you can go back and fix him later?
I’m not certain if he needs to be meaner or if he’s mean enough but I haven’t quite caught his character. I can’t seem to get into his head enough.
How do you get into a character’s head? I haven’t had problems with this when I write other characters, so why does this one elude me?
I feel as if I’m spending time banging my head against the wall.
Posted in My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Fiction, Life, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Coffee and a good book
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I spent a quiet couple of hours at our local Borders today. I stopped in the café, ordered a large coffee and a blueberry scone. I then sat at a table, read Donna Andrews’ Cockatiels at Seven, sipped my coffee, and munched my scone. It was a pleasant way to spend some time. I needed a break and Dear Hubby needed some alone time too.
Although we love each other dearly, there are times when you feel as if you are constantly tripping over each other. Since I was too sick to go to my critiquing group when they met last, I needed to get out a bit today. One of my greatest pleasures is browsing through the book store, treating myself to a new book, coffee, and a light snack.
Usually I buy more than one book when I stop in at Borders but today was a one book day. The guy at the register knows me, and he almost dropped his teeth to see me buy only one book.
I told him, “I’m getting off cheap today.”
Geez, you’d think I’d slapped his mother with the look he gave me. I’ll be back next Thursday, cut me a break here.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Give me a starting line
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Many writing books have writing exercises to do at the end of each chapter. They are supposed to free your creativity and help you write. For me they don’t. What they do to me is stress me out, lock up my brain, and put my creativity on ice. It’s like taking a test. I always hated taking tests.
I do better when I don’t have a structured writing lesson. Give me a good writing prompt or a starting line any time. It’s as though the bells have run, the gates have opened, and the horses have taken off around the track. My mind runs free.
I had a high school English teacher who discovered this in me. She began to give assignments with starting lines. My grades soared, not that my grades in English class were poor, they weren’t, but she knew I could do better.
Now my writing comes from my own starting lines, which are usually my working titles.
What works for you? Is it a structured exercise, a good prompt, or an unrestrictive starting line?
Posted in My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
August already?!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s hard to believe that it’s August already. This summer has swooped past at top speed. We were lucky that for the most part the weather was mild. However, that does make one wonder what this winter will be like.
My gardens are now full of marigolds from last year’s seed heads, red sage, purple Echinacea, multicolored snap dragons, and the mums are beginning to bloom. As I dead head flowers, I have a habit of dropping the seeds from all my annuals right onto the ground. I have been lucky to have the flowers return each year. It saves me a fortune since I haven’t had to buy these annuals for several years now.
I spent several hours weeding the pond garden and trimming back the Lizard Tail in the pond. The Lizard Tail is in a pot on a shelf in the pond. It was getting huge and taking up a lot of space both in and out of the pond.
The Koi seem happy that I trimmed back the Lizard Tail but I think the frogs are upset that they lost some hiding places. They’ll get over it.
Posted in My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Where were my manners?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Dear Hubby was trying to get an electric cart unplugged at the grocery store today so he could do some shopping with me. A very rude man pushed past him and almost knocked him over. I have to admit it now; I did stick my foot out and trip the man.
I grabbed his arm to help balance him. “My goodness! Are you okay sir? You sure did take a nice trip there.”
He shook my hand off his arm. “I’m fine. Must’ve tripped on the edge of the rug.”
“Yes that can happen when you’re in a hurry.”
He rushed away.
I shrugged at DH and said, “I don’t know what his problem was Hon. It seems that lately my manners have become appalling. He mustn’t have wanted my help.
Dear Hubby drove past me and said, “You don’t fool me, I saw what you did.”
“He didn’t. And he quite deserved it.”
DH grinned. “You’re right he did. Let’s see, we want the bread aisle, right?”
Posted in Misc, MS related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
The weeds and frogs didn’t miss me
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s hot, humid, and miserable outside. I can’t go out to weed the garden because when I go outside I can’t breathe. All I do is cough up my lungs. The weeds don’t mind, they are gleefully invading every area I didn’t get to mulch. (This is most of the gardens.)
My neighbor’s son gave us a half truck load of lovely mulch before I went on my road trip. He dumped it in the middle back section of our driveway. I’m dying to get that black gold into the gardens. Maybe next week when I’m fully recuperated and have enough energy to get at the weeds.
Our bullfrogs haven’t minded that I’m seldom outside lately. In fact, they’ve become quite bold. Tonight there were two close to the back porch steps catching bugs under the light. It was a shame I had to take the dogs out and in doing so scare them. However, it was funny to watch them scurry for the pond and leap into it.
Posted in My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
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