Blog Archives
Getting antsy for the PW conference
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My conference room-mate and I reserved our room back in January. I paid my conference fees last month. Why isn’t it May?
Because I haven’t planned my basket donations yet? Gee, I really need to do that. The title for this years conference is A Writer’s Map. A theme basket could be in order….any ideas?
I have a pile of books to put in baskets again this year. Most are mysteries but there are several writing books too. Hmm, I need to start getting into basket creation mode.
You all have a good one!
Get write right when you write
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I admit it. I have been goofing off the last couple of days. Instead of writing I’ve been reading. (It’s my opinion that reading makes one a better writer.) Some of the books I read were stunning and well written.
Other of the books I read could’ve had their writers spend more time reading. At the very least, they should’ve had someone read their books before they published them. Glaring spelling and grammar errors jumped out at me. One was so bad all I can think of is that writer did a lot of cut and paste and never read it through afterwards. It had too many disjointed paragraphs and sentences that made no sense at all.
When my books get out there, I do hope I am giving you the very best that I can do. I’d be ashamed to give you anything less.
Nothing makes me scream in frustration more when reading a book than to see careless errors.
Do NOT depend on your spell checker to catch all mistakes. There are words that sound alike but have completely different meanings. Take for example the words write, rite, and right. If, you aren’t sure what spelling is correct, do use a dictionary and look up the word.
Read, read, read, and reread your book. Then have others read it before you send it off.
Tags: 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, Post A Day, Reading, Spelling and Grammar, Writer, Writers Resources, Writing
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
If it’s Thursday I’m not home
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Two Thursdays a month, I go to my local Borders and meet with other writers for a critiquing group. Well, it used to be writers it’s not that now. The group has shrunk down to only two of us. One writer, after self-publishing, decided she didn’t need a critiquing group and left. Another member became too ill to attend. The third member lost interest and stopped writing.
Now we are two, two very determined writers, passionate in our craft. We push each other forward and hone our writing techniques to a fine edge.
Yes, it would be better to have more people in our group. However, finding writers willing to meet at one o’clock on a Thursday afternoon isn’t easy.
We both have other people who review our work. Dave, G, Jackie, and Elena read mine. I read Dave’s manuscripts. I can’t imagine not having them tear into my books. They are valuable assets.
Posted in My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: 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
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