smwright

You know what’s fun? Euphemisms

“Where’s Ol’Daisy, Joe Bob?” asked Bobby Ray upon entering the milking parlor. “She kicked her last bucket.” Joe Bob continued to squirt milk into the milk pan as he sat next to Ol’Trixie. “EH?” “You know, she exited the barn for the last time… is eating in a greener pasture on a farm upstate.” Continue reading “You know what’s fun? Euphemisms”

Partial Review: Attempting to use Evernote

I had downloaded Evernote several months ago, but had never really messed around with it until this week. So far, I’m seeing a lot of potential for this program and its nifty Firefox add-on — I have yet to use the Android app — as a writer. I’ve set up separate notebooks for each ofContinue reading “Partial Review: Attempting to use Evernote”

Stay calm and query on — Wrapping up September

Is September really almost over? It’s hard to believe that October is just around the corner, especially since for me it feels like September just got started. I have to say this month has been wonderful for my writing. Not only have I begun to query “Passage” (which is quite stressful!) to various agents, butContinue reading “Stay calm and query on — Wrapping up September”

Prompted: Should be Banned

This is a very good writing prompt. Often times when I write, I find myself wondering how some of the characters, themes, or topics will be received, particularly by some of my family members. But with a prompt like this, you just go for it; you tackle those topics that will have some complaints becauseContinue reading “Prompted: Should be Banned”

Feeling naughty? Read a banned book

Across the U.S., libraries have been gearing up for Banned Books Week, which was started by the American Library Association. The week promotes intellectual freedom and the right for individuals to express thoughts that might be unorthodox or unpopular — and for readers to be able to read those thoughts. This year’s Banned Book WeekContinue reading “Feeling naughty? Read a banned book”

Characters, touchy subjects and framing

While going through the revision portion of my novel, one of my readers expressed dislike for a statement made by one of my character. The character is a woman who mused aloud, something to the extent, that she could not imagine being a soldier. I personally have nothing against women as soldiers as long as theyContinue reading “Characters, touchy subjects and framing”

Looks and gazes = lazy

“Looked” and “gazed” are writer cop-outs and amount to telling. In this article, I’m not going to tell you to drop them completely from your short story or manuscript — since I’m a proponent of all things in moderation — but to encourage writers to consider alternatives, especially since those alternate options often bring aContinue reading “Looks and gazes = lazy”

Writing Prompt #6: Write a character’s obit

Obituaries can say a lot about a person: who their parents were, who their relative are (plus if any have predeceased them), where they were born, who they married (if they did at all), where they worked, affiliations they had, hobbies they enjoyed, their religion, how they lived, and of course, where and how theyContinue reading “Writing Prompt #6: Write a character’s obit”

What ya got against series?

What always surprises me as lurk around different forums is the hate series seem to get from some individuals, particularly series that reach great success like Harry Potter. “The author is just milking the cash cow,” they will say, or “Don’t they have enough money.” What these individuals don’t understand is that writers don’t writeContinue reading “What ya got against series?”

Why I’m weary of Tauriel

I’m a major Tolkien fan, but not a strict purist. I was not crying or agonizing over every little change made in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings” and actually enjoyed some of the changes he incorporated into the films — including drawing from the appendices. Though I’m not quite as forgivingContinue reading “Why I’m weary of Tauriel”