Writing
It’s Not Writer’s Block: It’s Writing Weariness
It’s not that the tank is empty. I have so many ideas for stories and books that I fear I won’t be able to get them written before I go to that great publishing house in the sky. The stuff is all there waiting to be put onto the page. It’s that I sometimes run…
Read MorePlaying with the Cozy Mystery
Camel Press, publisher of my Eve Appel mysteries, sent me the contract for mysteries 7 through 9. I am thrilled to be writing three more adventures with Eve Apple and her friends and family. Now I must consider what joys as well as difficulties I will provide to create tension and conflict for her. I’ve…
Read MoreLaunching A Cozy Mystery Series
She’s visited here before, so I trust you recognize her name and her picture. I’m delighted to have her back again. Elaine Faber is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers, NCPA, and Cat Writers Association. She has published three cozy cat mysteries and two WWII mystery-adventures. Elaine’s award-winning short stories are included…
Read MoreAnxiety Dreams
What an odd topic for a blog that’s supposed to be about my plans for 2017, but my plans are all wrapped up in listening to what my dreams are telling me. I’ll bet your dreams do the same for you although you may or may not realize it. I am finishing the final manuscript…
Read MoreA Pat on the Back
I haven’t posted for several weeks and, no, it wasn’t because I was working on my New Year’s resolutions. I don’t remember ever doing resolutions. I guess I know myself well enough to know I wouldn’t keep them anyway. Today I read a column in the Sunday paper about resolutions. It suggested the reason we…
Read MoreWord Clutter
How serendipitous that Paty Jager should be visiting today with a blog about unnecessary words at the same time I’m struggling with final edits on a manuscript. My editor writes so cleanly and elegantly. I don’t. Paty reminds us that word clutter weakens our writing. It’s a reminder I need every now and then. Maybe…
Read MoreMy winter home
I know. I know. I’m posting this blog a day late, but I hope you’ll give me some latitude. We spent the last ten days packing and then driving to our place in rural Florida. It’s exhausting both emotionally and physically. Our cats are fine once they’re on the road, but the days before we…
Read MoreThey call this retirement?
We’re preparing to leave for our home in Florida and are packing up the items needed down south as well as organizing the house here and winterizing it. I wish I could say that was all occupying me right now, but I’m also working on a manuscript for my publisher. It is due March 1,…
Read MoreSnippets from Childhood Revisited
Sometimes memories from my childhood come back not as whole stories, but as single events, scenes or lines of dialogue. These snippets are important because I find I can use them in my writing to create aspects of my characters, places for events in the story to unfold or happy and sad feelings for character…
Read MoreTales from the Hayloft: A Smile and A Laugh
Growing up on a farm was lots of fun, and I was never bored although I had few other children as companions. As I indicated last week, being alone sharpened my imagination, and I credit being an only child with my becoming a writer. I was reminiscing about my childhood and thinking of stories…
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