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On writing
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I know many of you have read books in which the characters, plots, dialogue, and scenery are so compelling, that they draw you into new worlds or familiar ones. They grab you. Then they hold you there, breathless, waiting for the next scene and the next, all the way to the end of the book.
Like all writers, I admire anyone who can do that. I often hope and pray that my books will do the same for the people who will read them.
New writers will often ask how does so and so do it? How do they become a wizard at creating scenery, dialogue, and building believable characters?
In my experience, it is through hard work and so many rewrites that the average person would quail at the sight of the stacks of printed manuscripts sent to the recycling bin.
Although some writers are prolific and quick in their writing, it doesn’t mean that they don’t work hard as well. It probably means they have time to write without many interruptions.
Then there are those of us who plod along putting in a few hours here and there as often as we can. We work hard.
I soon hope to type ‘the end’ on one of my manuscripts. It is my dream that when my books do hit the shelves they will grab you.
Posted in My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Arts, Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writers Resources, Writing
What inspires you?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Is it a remembered poem or story from your childhood or high school? Perhaps it was something a teacher said to you.
I could say that my mother and baby sister inspired me because they both encouraged my writing. That would be true and I miss it. My Aunties and Cousins along with some dear friends all cheer me on these days.
Other writers inspire me. A lovely day inspires me. Many things inspire me. However, inspiration isn’t the only thing that keeps me writing. I have to write. If I didn’t I think I’d blow a gasket. On days that I can’t sit down and write, I am cranky and difficult to live with. Writing, even if it’s only a letter or my daily blog post, is my stress reliever.
As a child I secretly wrote fairy stories, as a teen I wrote angst-filled poetry, as a young woman I wrote magazine articles about dogs and tons of unpublished (long lost somewhere in the depths of my attic) reams of fantasy fiction. Now, as a woman of a certain age, I’ve found my voice in mysteries.
Tags: Arts, Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Online Writing, Poetry, Publishing, Writers Resources, Writing, Xlibris
Exercising the brain while writing
Posted by doggonedmysteries
As you can see by my reading list, I am reading Donald Maass’s book The Fire in Fiction–passion, purpose, and techniques to make YOUR NOVEL GREAT. It is an exhausting and slow read because there are exercises to do at the end of each chapter. No, I don’t mean I have to do calisthenics. I’m talking about doing writing exercises. The brain needs exercise too.
I’ve found that I can do the exercises, have fun doing them, and learn. However, when I’m expected to do this sort of thing in a writer’s conference session, my mind goes completely blank. I figure it’s because it’s daytime at the conference (usually morning and I don’t do mornings well at all) when this asked of me.
Hell, I’m never alert until the sun goes down. Thus, doing the exercises on my schedule seems to work fine. I wonder if I’ll feel the same way when I tackle his Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. Don’t worry. When I do the exercises, I am using my books and it is helping with the rewrites.
Why do I do this? I have no idea. Mostly I am hoping all this work makes me a better writer so you, my readers, have greater enjoyment.
Tags: Arts, Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Brain, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Donald Maass, Family, Fiction, Fire in Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Reading, The Fire in Fiction: Passion Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great, Writer, Writers Resources, Writing
Never cross your muse
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My muse avoids making eye contact. I dust off my keyboard, clean the monitor, and straighten my desk. Then I take some time to dust the living room and vacuum the rugs.
“You ready to help me yet?” I ask as I sit in front of the computer again.
Silence.
“Did I do something to upset you?”
No answer.
“This is about the ad I put in The Mystical Weekly isn’t it?”
“You were looking for applicants for a muse!” She began to sob and scrub her face with a lace handkerchief.
“Yeah, and a unicorn, a troll, and an elf applied. I turned them all down flat. I don’t write fantasy I write mysteries.”
“But, but why the ad? Are you firing me?” A huge tear dripped off her nose. Not attractive.
“I thought about it. You haven’t been around much lately.”
“I have too but you weren’t listening to me. You were too busy.”
“Okay, I admit it. I have been run ragged lately but when I sit down to write you aren’t here. Maybe we need to synchronize our watches.”
“I don’t own a watch. I’m a freaking muse.”
“I was being rhetorical. Would it help if I apologize?”
“It’s a start.”
“I’m sorry.”
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Arts, Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Muse, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
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