It started out as a gathering of ideas, a list of characters, and a setting. Happenings on paper that would become a work of fiction. But as my story evolved, the characters, settings, and events became more real to me than I ever imagined possible. I learned about my characters as my story progressed, but I had a multi-level challenge. Not only did I have to know what I was telling the reader, I also had to know my characters on a deeper level. … Read More »

Recently a comment in an online forum for editors I participate in provoked much discussion, and it occurred to me that it might be interesting for you writers to be privy to something editors talk about when you’re not around. An editor new to the business wondered what other editors do when their editorial comments and revision suggestions are rejected by the author. The In-House Editor & House Style Whether or not the writer incorporates suggested revisions seemed to be … Read More »

Sometimes I run out of steam. Sometimes I run out of ideas. Sometimes I run out of time. Sometimes I just plain get stuck. Whatever the reason that forces me to stop writing, I make sure I won’t have to face “blank screen syndrome” when I settle back into my chair (not completely, anyway). Before I shut my computer down, I like to have some specifics of where the story is headed upon my return. My mind will keep exploring … Read More »

After submitting for consideration a short story for FWA Collection 7, Revisions: Stories of Starting Over, I noticed I had split an infinitive like an atom. Although the result may not be as devastating, it may prevent publication. On second thought… The Star Trek introduction, “To boldly go where no man has gone,” influenced the way I spoke during formative years in rural North Carolina. Grammar school grammar lessons were forgotten as soon as I rushed home, to veg out … Read More »

Questions about manuscript formatting pop up frequently in online discussion groups for writers. Sometimes you’ll get great help asking virtual strangers, but just as often the advice you receive will conflict, not apply to your particular situation, or be just plain wrong. (And how many novels could we write with all the time used on online forums to “debate” whether there should be one or two spaces after a period?) This post was inspired by an online discussion where one … Read More »

If I were to ask you to describe a writer, what would your response be? If someone posed that question to me, initially I’d describe someone hard at work at a desk, typing, staring into a computer screen, or balling up wads of paper and tossing them into a wastebasket (perhaps as they tear at their hair in frustration). All of those images are clear in my mind, but I also do a good share of writing away from my … Read More »