“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth…” -Robert Frost There is always something intriguing about the road not traveled. And as writers, we often leaveContinue reading “The road not traveled”
Category Archives: Writing Articles
Learn from SELF Magazine’s Mistake
We are all human, we all make mistakes — and as journalists we have the misfortune of having our mistakes aired to our entire distribution area… and sometimes beyond if it is picked up by social media. I’ve had my own set of corrections over the course of my career. And you know what? IContinue reading “Learn from SELF Magazine’s Mistake”
How do writers know what they want to write about?
It’s one of the most common questions a writer is asked: Why do you write what you write? Often times it is asked when a writer is least expecting it, leading to awkward pauses or garbled words and stutters. But to be fair, it’s not an easy question to explain. For me, writing is anContinue reading “How do writers know what they want to write about?”
World and Character Series: Are your characters human?
Sometimes writers forget the basics while putting our vision to paper. And in this case I’m not talking about basics like grammar, plot or even character development. No, I’m talking about the basics of life: the need to eat. Often, times characters in books will go days without eating, making them more robot than human.Continue reading “World and Character Series: Are your characters human?”
The business of writing — Part II
Well, you have your business plan typed and printed, possibly stored in a sleek binder … or stuffed in a lock box or file cabinet. So what next? Well, you have to make good on that marketing plan that you spelled out in your business plan. What? Isn’t that my agent’s and publisher’s job? TheContinue reading “The business of writing — Part II”
The business of writing — Part I
Just today, I covered a session dedicated to small business owners and entrepreneurs, which was sponsored by the county economic development corporation and a local chamber. While the topics were geared toward business owners, I walked away from the event with my head spinning with ideas — after all, whether you want to believe itContinue reading “The business of writing — Part I”
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”
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”
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?”
Blood & Ink 