For quite some time now I’ve heard many talk about detoxing their homes but never investigated as to the what or how questions. I understood why…to make sure we bring in less toxic substances to our homes and make for a cleaner environment to live in. One of my daughters, for the longest time, has … [Read more…]
-1- Just write! I know you’ve heard this before but editing while you write only delays THE END. Worry about editing once the story is finished. -2- Train your Editor’s Hat you wear to eliminate such things as: – ‘that’- if the sentence is clear without it, then delete it. – ‘he said, stuttering’ – … [Read more…]
Strong Characters Leave Lasting Impression Dracula. Harry Potter. Lennie Small (Of Mice and Men). What do these names have in common? They’ve left a memorable impression on readers. And there are hundreds more but these were the ones that popped into my head first while writing this post. Regardless if your character is the hero … [Read more…]
To Edit or Not Once upon a time (I know, fairy tale cliché) writers were contracted by the then ‘only’ big publishers and their manuscripts were assigned to editors to work their magic. However, nowadays, things have changed. There are still the large traditional publishers, small and mid-sized presses, but more importantly, an abundance of … [Read more…]
Finding ME Time Nowadays we live in a fast-paced world, where time seems to escape us. By the time we blink, it’s tomorrow already. Why do we allow this to happen? We need to find the time for us, and in a twenty-four hour period, there should be at least five minutes to an hour … [Read more…]
We’re writers. We don’t make misteaks…okay, we do. And if you didn’t spot my mistake in the previous sentence, this is where The World’s Best Automated Proofreader Grammarly would be a helpful app to have ready to go. It’s a convenient app to download to your computer, especially for bloggers because it edits as you … [Read more…]
For several years now I always wanted to try my hand at affiliate marketing. I read articles and blog posts by many bloggers who were making a mighty nice income per month. But because I’m a bit anal, I wanted to begin the right way, not just make it up as I go. If I … [Read more…]
7 Tips for Contest Entries Below are 7 important tips to remember before entering any writing contest: 1- Unless your submission is fully edited, and a great book to help you self-edit is by Carolyn Howard Johnson’s The Frugal Editor: Do-it-yourself editing secrets for authors: From your query letter to final manuscript to the marketing … [Read more…]
Vacuuming and the Muse or “I Wish I had More Hands!” “Whatsa doin?” “Mommy’s writing, sweetie.” “Why?” “To earn money to build an office.” “Why?” “For peace and quiet.” “Why?” “To finish her book.” “Why?” Why, why, why…wow, just got a great idea for another story. As parents who decided to stay at home and … [Read more…]
How to Use Fairy Tales to Plot Your Novel “Once Upon A Time…” Fairy tales, no matter how young or old you are, captivate an audience. Readers love and continue to enjoy these tales, disappointed when they come to “and they lived happily ever after” part. The ‘Once upon a time’ beginnings told you some … [Read more…]