A Few Tips for Writing Dialogue
Dialogue can be difficult to write, specifically the aspect of punctuation, when you first begin. It is also something that becomes second nature with time and practice. Tip #1 The …
But Don’t Forget the Past
All right, folks, here I am with slightly red face, realizing why I hadn’t published yesterday’s post earlier: it was not finished. As my dear friend, Deb, gently reminded me, …
But Don't Forget the Past
All right, folks, here I am with slightly red face, realizing why I hadn’t published yesterday’s post earlier: it was not finished. As my dear friend, Deb, gently reminded me, …
Now I Lay Me Down…
It’s been awhile since I managed to post something on my blog, so I’ll send out this little piece on a whim: Allow me to vent a grammarphobe’s pet peeve. …
The Quilt and the Octopus
When I speak to a group of readers, or to writers in a workshop, I often use a quilt analogy to describe the challenge of writing a novel: “Writing a …
How We Write
E.L. Doctorow said that writing is “like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” Another writer …
After All These Years
“You’d think I’d have learned to cook after all these years,” I complain as I slide the dried-out beef roast from the oven. I should have added more water; …
It’s Who You Are
Voice. Is it created or discovered? Almost three years ago I wrote a blog for another author on the subject of voice: I’ve been amazingly blessed with grandchildren over the …
It's Who You Are
Voice. Is it created or discovered? Almost three years ago I wrote a blog for another author on the subject of voice: I’ve been amazingly blessed with grandchildren over the …
Safety in Dangerous Times
I recently rediscovered a photograph of my dad and me on my fourth birthday. We’re on a gondola lift—rather like a single-seat lift at a ski hill—at Banff National Park. …