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What Marketing Books and Garage Sales Have in Common
I dislike garage sales. Both shopping at them and even more, having them. But we’re moving, and I refuse to haul stuff I don’t use to yet another house. So, much as I avoid them, I organized a neighborhood garage sale for this weekend, figuring it would help my neighbors lighten up on the junk,…
Read MoreHow Spill Strong Emotion on the Page
I’ll admit, this blog was sparked by THIS one (it’s awesome-go read it-we’ll wait). It had a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald: “… I’m afraid the price for doing professional work is a good deal higher than you are prepared to pay at the moment. You’ve got to sell your heart, your strongest reactions, not…
Read MoreOverused Words
We all have them. Mine may be different than yours. They’re like whack-a-moles – you banish one, and two others pop up. You may think they don’t matter, but they do. They irritate the reader on a subconscious level. Use them enough, and they’ll remember they have to put the laundry in the dryer –…
Read MoreCraft Tips to Strengthen Your Writing
I recently spoke at the Caprock Writers Alliance. They were kind enough to do a video of my presentation, and I wanted to share it with you. Hope it helps!
Read MoreEditing Pet Peeves
We all have them. Things that make us crazy, whether we’re reading a novel for pleasure or critiquing a colleague’s work. We’re readers first, and I believe these peeves are forged by what we’ve read – like Chinese water torture they fall, drop by drop, until you notice them and continuing until you can’t see…
Read MoreFor the Pantsers
I don’t think the hardest part of learning to write is the craft. It’s learning how you write a book. I believe your brain already knows how, but it’s not talking. So you dig, finding and discarding methods over your shoulder like a cheap clotheshorse at a Macy’s sale. Frustrating, isn’t it? And it seems…
Read MoreReviews – the Good, the Bad, the Brutal
Reviews are one of the top three causes for visceral emotions in authors. Two-inches-off-the-floor elation to meltdowns, there’s nothing we look forward to with more hopeful trepidation. Many authors refuse to look at them. They say it’s death by a million cuts, and I get it. You spend six months to a year writing the…
Read MoreYour First 5 Lines
I’ll admit, the idea for this blog was sparked by this one, by Donald Maass. It made me think, because I’m teaching my First Five Pages class at Lawson Writer’s Academy starting today (you can still sign up – HERE). We always focus on first lines, and though I’ll admit they are critical, experts say…
Read MoreWord Play – Unleash Your Inner Writing Child
Think back. Waaaay back, to when you first decided you wanted to write. You sat down, maybe at a computer, maybe with a pen and napkin, or even (in my case) on the back of a motorcycle, and wove a story in your head. Remember how excited you were? Everything seemed possible. You had the…
Read MoreEasiest Edit to Get Closer POV
POV is like Algebra. You either get it or you don’t, and if you don’t, people can explain it ten different ways, and you just feel dumber with every one. Hey, I understand. I didn’t get it either, back when rocks were new. And what’s frustrating is, I’ve never found a way to explain it…
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