I've been asked: Is it harder to write a short story, a novella, or a novel? I think the answer depends on the writer. I have two writer friends whose first novels were well over 100,000 words. They were told by editors to cut down to fewer words and had a hard time doing so …
How To Simplify Writing
I've been asked: How can someone simplify their writing and still get the point across to the reader? How to simplify writing? It’s an art and a craft and not everyone is good at it but most writers can learn it with sufficient effort. First you write whatever you are writing. Then you go back …
How Do You Begin a Novel?
I was asked the question: How should one begin to write a novel if he/she has the basic plot but stuck on the way of presentation? In other words, how do you begin a novel if you don’t know how to start? You start where the protagonist first engages with whatever problem the book deals …
Social Distancing
Just have to say how proud I am of our four-legged, furry family members. They are socially responsible by practicing social distancing. Everyone should follow their example.
A New Plan For A New World
This is a non-writer post.... The world is changing. Not because we wish it to change but because a virus from far away doesn't care what we want and is changing the world all by itself. So we, also, will change. Let me explain: We make our living selling fudge-filled banana bread, fudge and cinnamon …
Reading Outside Your Comfort Zone
Why would anyone read something they aren't sure they'll enjoy? Are there reasons? Actually, yes there are reasons to read outside your comfort zone and the reasons are too numerous to mention them all in this post. But here are a few: You might find that you enjoy this different type of story and look …
What does good writing have that bad writing doesn’t?
What does good writing have that bad writing doesn’t? Good writing connects the writer and the reader. In really good writing, that connection between what the writer is trying to portray and what the reader sees is so tight that the reader will become immersed in the story and not let go until the last …
Continue reading What does good writing have that bad writing doesn’t?
How much rewriting should an author do?
A newbie author asked me how much rewriting should be done. I had a hard time keeping a straight face because the question almost made me double over with laughter. Because there is no right answer and because every writer struggles with how much rewriting to do. Every writer. Every time. That said, I've had …
Do you ever truly finish anything?
A wanna-be writer recently asked how to know when to stop rewriting and get the manuscript out there. As my husband often reminded me with a slightly exasperated expression whenever I admitted that I wasn't 'quite' ready to send in a manuscript, most writers never know. You just stop rewriting at some point and do …
100 baby chickens.
I have mixed emotions about chickens. On the one hand, the babies are cute. And for some reason I'm unable to comprehend, raising chickens is becoming more and more popular. Kids seem to love them. I don't know why. When I was in elementary school, my mother decided we would raise chickens so she sent …
