Click to read Introduction
Click to read Part 1
I find, for me, there are two writing zones: that fabulous zone where you’re in the story, channeling the characters and it’s all good, and then there’s a zone where you can put words on the page, but you’re more of an observer. Maybe the kids are fighting, […]

Click to read Introduction
I was going to compose a big old introductory paragraph to go here, but instead of talking about it, let’s just do it. First up: let’s play with a first-draft paragraph—the hero seeing the heroine for the first time, from his POV.
As the woman crossed the room, Gabe watched her […]

So you’ve finished your first draft. Hurrah! You’ve had your cookie, IM’d your IM buddies, and now you’re ready to get back to work. You’ve got plot holes to fill, story arcs to track, typos to fix, transitions to smooth and floating body parts to ground.
Editing’s a daunting task. There’s this whole big picture […]

I’ll be fairly quiet today and tomorrow as I finish putting together my workshop for PBW’s Left Behind & Loving It virtual workshops. I didn’t realize until last night that this coincides with a “going north” weekend, so I’ll have to run it Wed through Fri instead of more over the weekend.
Still doesn’t have a […]

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but it’s Saturday, we’re not going to play in the mud this weekend and I intend to hit DG3 hard. Gotta preserve the braincell.
Before I post DG3’s playlist, let me note this is for things like plotting, thinking about the story while washing dishes and whatnot. Setting the mood. When […]

Dad: He’s been reading this awhile. Won’t give up on it.

The Death List by Paul Johnston
Writer’s block is nothing compared to the tale London-based novelist Matt Wells is now caught in. A chain of seemingly innocent e-mails from a devoted fan turns sinister when Matt discovers his correspondent is a cold-blooded killer with an […]

New Hampshire doesn’t have tornadoes.
Really. Just ask the news. It amazes me the creativity the media/PtB will use in avoiding the T-word.
Today trees were leveled, numerous homes destroyed and one life was taken by “intense wind moving at a fast rate of speed in a tight circular motion”.

Pretty busy this morning, but I figured I’d share my “BS Sheet” for DG3. (Sometimes that stands for brainstorming and sometimes…yeah.)

Hey, it’s a book! Well, not quite. I pulled a couple of insets for you.

(The lolcats help me plot, apparently.)

The good news, I haven’t scribbled “dumbass” anywhere on it yet, which means I […]

And he’s literally the tall kid, now. He’s not only the taller of the two boys, but he’s taller than both parents. Dayum. But thirteen years old? How did that happen?
Here’s my very favorite picture of him—the one that sits next to my desk. The tall kid is, by nature, reserved and quiet and […]

A cowboy and his wife had just been married and went to a hotel for their honeymoon.
The man went to the front desk and asked for a room.
He said, “This here’s a very special occasion…our weddin’ night, and we need a good room with a strong bed.”
The clerk winked and asked, “Do you […]