Tap, tap, tap...That tell tale sound of a manual typewriter. We can all recognize it when we hear it, although many of us haven't been around one in years, if ever. It is one of those sounds that bring to mind our days in high school typing classes or, better yet, the images of great writers like Hemingway and Poe trudging for hours, days, years, on a masterpiece of works that we can never put down. Fifty years ago, this was the mainstay of writing a novel. The typewriter. Before that, the invention of the printing press brought the books, however slowly, into our neighborhood bookshelves. The placing of each letter and punctuation carefully chosen so that the writer's ideas can come to us. There was a time when each book had to be ascribed by hand in a painstaking process of repetition. Books were rare in those days. Now, here we are in the twenty-first century. The invention of the computer and multifaceted printing devices has made it possible for us to
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I am slow but sure with the books I read. I love the variety of genres that one can find these days, but lately an adventurous mystery has caught my attention. Patricia Cornwell is well known for writing the exploits of Kay Scarpetta, an investigative medical examiner in Virginia, very similar to her real life profession. Her attention to detail has everyone grasping onto the pages in each masterpiece that she puts out and this latest one is one I can't put down. Kay Scarpetta investigates one gruesome murder scene after another and never loses the human factor in the victim. The trick is to try to keep her own emotions out of the equation. At her latest murder scene, however, that is difficult to do. Text messages draw her attention away as a clear and present danger to someone dear to her becomes apparent. She is thrown into the shady past and present of her
Hello, my fellow aspiring writers, poets and playwrights! First I want to thank all of you for the incredible support that you have given me in my writing and blogging. I have been writing most of my life but only recently decided to go pro. Many of you have decided the same thing. It's a rough road but we can take it. We are tough. It is always helpful (at least it is to me) when others with more experience or just some good ideas share what they know with the rest of us, so here I go with my little bit. Here are 10 quick tips on writing that I have found to be really helpful to learn. 1. Write like a demon! Ignore the format of the page, all of the little writing rules and every bit of writing tips you have been forced to swallow and just write! Let the words flow out like a busted fire hydrant. That first draft is the most important, even with its type-o's, grammar snaffoos and plot holes. It is the heart of any writing process and you can't let over thi
I know, I know, another post about writing? No. This is for all of you readers out there. This includes authors. We love to read blogs, short stories, anthologies, the latest novels, etc., don't we? Some think that this supports the authors plenty, and yes, it does, but there are so many other ways to do this. Have you checked on your favorite author's blog lately? Website? How about doing that and putting the link to it on your social media? You might be surprised at the response. Sometimes I find the best posts quite by accident, but when a friend or family member posts something about Terry Brooks or Heather Graham, it is news to me and I jump at it. When it is someone I haven't heard of, I still get curious and check it out and I know I am not the only one who would do that. Twitter is great for getting out ideas and such but have you added authors to your Twitter lists? I have and have discovered many writers and books I might never have heard of otherwise. This als
I am re-firing up this baby with new energy. At least, I hope its new. I am so excited to be blogging with you again that the ideas are coming at me in all directions. I plan to have a new post tomorrow, and I hope you all enjoy and share it. Remember, this isn't just about the author, but the reader, as well. When we can connect with either (depending on which one you are), new doors and opportunities arise. Might be a new book sale. Might find that perfect book or blog that you have been craving to read. Maybe it will be just the inspiration to keep reading and writing. If I can inspire anyone, it would fill my heart with joy. Isn't that the way it should be? To know that maybe you made a difference in someone's life, or helped someone find that difference through someone else? I can't wait to see where this leads. If you have any suggestions as to who or what you want to see here, let me know. Drop me a line. Let the adventure begin again... https://www.facebook.