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 »

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 »

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 »

The first ideas drafted for my middle-grade novel were done via pencil and lined tablet. Once I settled in front of my computer, I entered a delusional state where I believed the document on my screen would be the only one I’d need to worry about for the rest of this story’s creation. In my college creative writing classes, my professors spoke of creating character profiles along with other notable, vital story timelines and elements. I thought it a tedious … Read More »

It’s one thing to kill your darlings, but have you ever wondered how renowned authors get away with murder? That is, not the CSI: Miami kind but killing their sentences with poor proofing skills. One bestselling novel identifies “Chapter Fourty” and has Orlando east of Daytona Beach. The author got into deep water for that geographic goof. Common mistakes are innumerable. Use “it’s” only as a contraction of “it is.” “Who is” contracts to “who’s” and whose denotes ownership. And … Read More »