I was just notified that my paranormal suspense novel, Proof of Identity, has been awarded an indieBRAG Medallion of Excellence. I submitted the novel at least four months ago, and promptly forgot about it. What an amazing experience to open … Continue reading
We need good, strong, flexible writing muscles to sustain us through the creation of our stories. But stretching our writing muscles isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s not like we can go to the local gym and hop on … Continue reading
To follow up on asking “What If?” that we talked about last week, here’s another exercise that will truly expand your imagination. And it all came about because I asked “What if…?” one day when I was changing batteries in … Continue reading
Unexpected twists come from asking, “What If?” It’s amazing where those two little words can take you. What if this had happened? What if this hand’t happened? What if he said…? What if she wore…? What if the weather…? Once … Continue reading
Coming across the unexpected can get our creativity jumping. Nothing shakes up complacency like a unexpected surprise. Nothing makes your readers sit up and take notice like the unexpected. Try this little exercise. Write Over the Hump You are paging … Continue reading
Here’s one you can use as is about your friend, or substitute your character. It’s another way to twist the way you look at your characters to help you find the weird, the wonderful, the wacky, the unique. You can … Continue reading
Here, at a local craft fair last Saturday, our two Sisters in Crime(SinC) tables of books sit surrounded by an abundance of yarn, beads, paper and ceramics. Local authors smile, ready to autograph their volumes. Yet attendees walk past our … Continue reading
With the advance of technology, anyone who can put words into a word processing program and upload a file can post a book in electronic form. Witness the thousands of volumes that appear almost daily on Amazon’s Kindle, to say … Continue reading
Blog # 16: Finn McCool A writer friend, Debra Davis Hinkle, who loves playing with her photo program, sent me this picture of her beloved horse, Finn McCool, who she lost in 2011. You can check her out on her … Continue reading
This photo, from www.soundcloud.com really sparks the imagination. It presents a fabulous setting for an adventure, sci-fi or fantasy story, with a multitude of directions in which to wander. At first glance, the bright spot appears to the the entrance … Continue reading