fiction writing

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Kay: The Indie Paradox

I’ve been struggling this past week about what it means to be a writer and how much time and treasure a person should sink into the process. Let me explain.

Several years ago, the company for which I freelanced forwarded a request to me from a person who was looking for editorial help on his fiction project. He’s a nice guy, my contact said, who has a story to tell.

The writer told me he’d written a draft, but it needed more work and he wasn’t sure how to go about it. It was 216 pages.

I asked him what he wanted me to do. A line or content edit? Write the transitions? Shape it? Continue reading →

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Justine: What to Give Your Book-Loving Mom on Mother’s Day

happy mothers dayDon’t worry! You haven’t missed Mother’s Day…it will be celebrated in the US and 84 other countries on Sunday, May 12th (so you still have time to get a gift or send a card!). Almost every country in the world celebrates Mother’s Day; however, not all on the same day.

Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908 by West Virginian Anna Jarvis, in memory of her mother, who had died a year earlier. Although Jarvis pushed for a national holiday, it was until 1914 that US President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

However, Jarvis would come to resent the holiday… Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

Friday already?  How did that happen?  I seem to have lost a few days somewhere along the line; I could have sworn today was only Thursday.  I blame it on the warmer weather and all of the turmoil in the news recently.

I’m afraid I’ve wound up spending more time watching and talking about the news recently than working on my writing.  Fortunately, we’ve got a holiday coming up in the middle of next week, which means a few extra days off work and at home, which should be the perfect opportunity to get some words on the page.

I think I’ll get things started right now by giving today’s writing prompt the old college try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Justine: Making Your “Alpha Male” More Like Nature’s Alpha Males

We all know what sort of man an alpha male is…strong, usually buff, definitely tough, and the one who gives orders, not takes them. He typically gets what he wants when he wants it, and if he’s threatened, he’ll go up against that threat, even if it means getting physical.

The trope of the alpha male is alive and well in many romances these days. But is that what nature intended when she created alpha males? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

Happy Summer Solstice (depending on when you read this).  What did you do with all of that daylight?  I’d like to say I made good use of it, but the truth is I spent an extra-long day at work and barely got out while there was sunlight left.

Definitely poor planning on my part.

At least I was able to enjoy a pretty sunset and I’ll have all day tomorrow to make up for today’s lapse.  While I’m happy to see the arrival of summer, I’m less thrilled to realize how much of the year has already passed by.  I have a long list of To-Dos for the year from back in January and the arrival of summer means I better get cracking if I’m going to complete them all.

One of the To-Dos that has been languishing is finishing my current manuscript-in-progress.  While the other Eight Ladies all sound to be making excellent progress, I cannot say the same.  I’ll be doing my best to get my manuscript back on track tomorrow with a morning of coffee, croissants, and creativity (writing, that is).

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

This week has had its share of excitement but I’m not sorry to see it heading for an end nonetheless.

Last week the Warriors, our local pro-basketball team, wrapped up their season with a championship win, which meant that this Tuesday, there was a victory parade with crowds of people and periodic confetti cannons.  More importantly for me, it meant that the streets around my office building were all closed off, requiring me to work from home, since teleporting into my office was not an option.

I was not too disappointed.

It was a beautiful day and I got to see the parade from the comfort of my own living room, while taking conference calls in my pajamas and avoiding a few hours of commuting.   Really, I should do that more often.

Now that the confetti has been swept up, the streets reopened, and the portable bathrooms taken back to wherever they roost, it’s time to get back to our regularly scheduled programming.  For me that means a trip to the dentist for a check-up, but then it’s off for something a little more enjoyable like lunch at my favorite outdoor café.  I’ll be taking my smoothest pen and my new writing journal and giving today’s story prompt the old college try.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

Friday again – how did that happen?

This has been a busy week at Ye Olde Day job, with the arrival of this year’s batch of summer interns.  That, coupled with my meeting with a group of GenX staff members, has left me feeling positively archaic.  And tired.  They’re all so bright and eager and energetic.

My Friday looks to be filled with meetings (oh, what fun!).  When I get home there is a slow leak in the outdoor sprinkler system that needs to be located, which means digging up a bit of the front lawn, and a rapidly disintegrating back fence that needs propping up.

Before I get started on my delightful home-repair projects, I’m going to open up my writing journal, take the story prompt below, and get some words on the page, since I’ve been doing far more reading than writing this week.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

Basketball playoffs are in full swing (go home team!), the hockey playoffs are nearing an end (sadly, no home team there), and baseball season, which seems to last forever, is well underway.  I, of course, have been ignoring all of these and have been reading books like it’s some kind of Olympic event.

Some of my reading has been for research purposes, a handful were contest entries, and one was an advanced copy of a (now) newly released novel.  I managed to read a few items from my TBR pile, but mostly I worked my way through some favorite, comfortable, familiar re-reads.  I started with a few Georgette Heyer Georgian/Regency re-reads, then off for a couple of Amanda Quick Regency suspense, and then on to Loretta Chase’s Carrington brothers series.

Needless to say, with all of that reading, there wasn’t a lot of time left for writing.  Okay, no actual time went to writing, but I’m okay with that.  Sometimes the best thing I can do for the writing part of my brain is to indulge the reading side.   Enjoyable as my reading interlude has been however, it’s time to pick up the pen and put a few of my own words on the page.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

It’s starting to look a little like summer.  Well, not the weather – that is currently cloudy and cool where I’m sitting – but the local stores have rolled out their inventory of beach chairs, swimsuits, pool toys, and sunscreen and the local swimming pool has been open for business for a few weeks now, so summer can’t be too far away.

Folks here in the U.S. will be celebrating Memorial Day on Monday.   Although it’s supposed to be a time to remember the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces, some think of it as the unofficial kick-off of summer, while others are just glad for a three-day weekend.

I’ve done a lot of traveling (for work, not fun) this month, and attended a lot of meetings, so I’m certainly looking forward to the three-day weekend aspect.  I have several things on my to-do list, though it’s quite possible that I won’t do any of them and will curl up with a good book instead.  One thing that I definitely will be doing is setting aside some time to get some words on the page.

Care to join me? Continue reading →

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Elizabeth: Friday Story Time and Sprints

After 5 flights, 3 days of meetings, and more “talking to strangers” than I care to think about, this week is finally coming to a close.  Only one more black-tie event remaining and then I can call the weekend officially started.  It can’t be too soon for me; I have lots of “nothing” planned for the coming days.

This week’s travel did have its positive side.  I was in Minnesota, where I have some distant family members who I haven’t seen for years or rather decades, so it was nice to get a chance to visit.  The weather was beautiful and lilacs were blooming all over.  Their fragrance, like the accents of many I spoke with, brought happy memories of time spent in the area when I was a child to mind.  It was an unexpected bright spot for a trip that I hadn’t been looking forward to in the least.

Now that I’m back home, where overcast skies have replaced the clear blue ones that I left behind, it’s time for me to catch up on all the things that were put on hold while I was jet-setting around and talking to strangers.  First up on the list will be getting some words on the page.

Care to join me? Continue reading →