Every writer will tell you there are words they use unconsciously. Words or phrases they repeat in their writing, regardless of whether they’ve previously identified their tendency to overuse them. Some offenders are little words like “and” or “then”. Some are descriptive words like “dark” or “quick”. In romance novels, you’ll often find “arm” or … Continue reading EDITING CLUE: Catching Those Overused Words
writing
An Interview with Gifford MacShane
My Book Place was nice enough to publish an interview I did with them a bit ago... Advice, writing habits, influences, and more about my books is covered. If you have questions they didn't ask, don't hesitate to post them below!
7 Great Authors Take on the “RULES OF WRITING”
We've all heard about the RULES we need to follow in order to be “good” writers. No adverbs, no passive voice, no split infinitives, show don't tell, limit dialogue tags to “said” & “asked”, use only one POV per chapter―these are just a few of the absolutes we're faced with every day. I've heard some … Continue reading 7 Great Authors Take on the “RULES OF WRITING”
To Pants or Not To Pants – 14 Writers’ Opinions
There's a great dichotomy among writers: plotters (those who outline) vs. pantsers (those who write by the seat of their pants). Most writers fall into one camp or the other and sing the praises of their choice. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone's mind works differently, and what works for you may not work for me. … Continue reading To Pants or Not To Pants – 14 Writers’ Opinions
At the Intersection of Music and Writing
It occurred to me the other day that the people who propound THE RULES OF WRITING are much more vocal than those of us who do not. Since I was listening to a John McCormack CD at the time (it's almost Paddy's Day, you know, and I'm learning two new songs), I wondered how those … Continue reading At the Intersection of Music and Writing
Matching voice in your query and sample
The purpose of the query is to sell your MS. But what should you do if the voice in the query doesn’t match the pages? Source: Matching voice in your query and sample
Character Exercises: Personality quizzes
What a great idea — I bet we all could learn a little more about our characters! Who knows what new story it might lead to?
There are personality quizzes all over the Internet. You’ve probably taken some of them yourself.
But have you ever tried answering the questions as if you were one of your characters? I totally recommend this approach. It forces you to really get inside the character’s head and think like they do. You may have to consider aspects of the character’s personality that you never would have even considered before.
The Goal
Ever since the New Year, it seems everyone has been talking about “The Goal”. January was a month of promises and optimism; in early February the glitter started to wear off; and now at the beginning of March, so many lament. With writer friends, specifically, the goals set up were so many words and so … Continue reading The Goal
Bad News, Good News
Sometimes bad news is a very good thing. A little background: my manuscript, WHISPERS IN THE CANYON, was (in what I thought was a cut and polished state, like a rare diamond if you will), 120,000+ words long. But feedback from many quarters said "That's too long", "It's not the optimal size for publication", "Agents … Continue reading Bad News, Good News
A BADGE OF HONOR
A couple of weeks ago, I started sending query letters out. Yesterday, I got my first form rejection. I fully expected to be upset when this happened, and it took me a little while to understand why I wasn't. When this novel was first completed and I was looking for a literary agent, the internet … Continue reading A BADGE OF HONOR
Gifford MacShane, Author 