I’ve been waiting to announce this, but a science fiction short story I wrote a while back entitled Rust has been published in the online literary magazine Literary Juice. I’m so excited to be published by this excellent magazine, and now you can finally read this story that was the stuff of my nightmares. Find the storyContinue reading “My New Short Story “Rust” Is Published in Literary Juice”
Tag Archives: Online Writing
It’s A Writer’s Job To Be Rejected
If you write much and submit often, you probably have a drawer full or a room full of rejection notices. Today’s post is to encourage you a little by pulling together a few famous rejection notices… not that the rejection notices are famous, but that people who were rejected. Here they are: Ernest Hemingway –Continue reading “It’s A Writer’s Job To Be Rejected”
When Do You Hit Your Stride?
Writing a novel like writing anything is hard work. It takes determination, skill and careful planning to get a novel off the ground. It is definitely not like writing a short story or a poem because of the sheer amount of words necessary, the characterization, the subplots and all of the other bells and whistlesContinue reading “When Do You Hit Your Stride?”
The Core: What Drives a Novel?
I’m currently smack dab in the middle of my current WIP, and it usually takes this long to figure out exactly what the theme of the book might be. I know. I should have a theme when I begin, but as I have found out, the purpose behind every novel shifts and changes as itContinue reading “The Core: What Drives a Novel?”
Sending One Book Along, Focusing On the Next One
This week was exciting! I offered my book This Broken Earth as a completely free Kindle edition and watched as copy after copy was downloaded. The final total was 689. So what now? I have raised the price of This Broken Earth to $2.99 which is still dirt cheap. The point is, that if you are one ofContinue reading “Sending One Book Along, Focusing On the Next One”
How to Embed a Theme Into Text
There are so many great texts out there, but as I always argue with my students, there are definite differences between entertainment writing and literary writing. One thing that is most lacking in popular fiction today is some type of overarching theme that speaks to the human condition. Has this indeed been lost on thisContinue reading “How to Embed a Theme Into Text”
10 Questions to Spark a Plot
In the past week I have been teaching my English students how to write short stories. They began with a set of questions that caused them to think or brainstorm about what they might write about. Many of them chose to write about zombie stories, effectively writing rough drafts that ended up reading more likeContinue reading “10 Questions to Spark a Plot”
Plot Devices: Constructing a Novel
This week I have been plotting out my new novel tentatively titled The Painful Best. In the process of creating characters, tying the plot threads together and creating some terrible red herrings for my readers to follow, I have been going through some new and interesting things to do to my new novel to make itContinue reading “Plot Devices: Constructing a Novel”
NaNoWriMo Tip #28: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
So maybe you’ve finished the NaNoWriMo or maybe you are slaving away at the final pages (and if you are, you need to stop reading this RIGHT NOW and get back to work), but I’m sure that as you peruse the text of your masterpiece you will find some scenes, character dialogue or something elseContinue reading “NaNoWriMo Tip #28: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly”
NaNoWriMo Tip #24: Piecemeal Criticism
When I write, I usually end up invariably creating chapters I did not intend to write when I originally wrote my outline. Usually, they are on subjects or set in places that I did not originally research or intend to include in the novel. For this, I have the glorious internet to thank. However, theContinue reading “NaNoWriMo Tip #24: Piecemeal Criticism”
Writing Is Hard Work 