Not Sleeping?

The normal noises are missing. It's too quiet. I lie awake waiting for some of the sounds of normality. My favourite music to help me sleep is Rumble (Link Wray). It doesn't work now. There used to be a fox coming to the front window, sniffing around and rattling the blinds. Of course, I planted …

To Journal, or Not to Journal

That is the question. Life is a bumpy road. That's true for most of the moments of a life, but this period of time has me jumping from moment to moment like a critter caught in the instant before being hit by a spotlight -- and waiting for the sound of a bullet. The mind …

What Makes a Story Great?

It's been a discussion on several different platforms lately. What is it that makes a reader ignore the obvious problems and gush about a story? What is it that takes a story from good to great? If I knew for sure, I'd be writing like that all the time. Well, I am, but it's about …

How To: Short Story

There's a lecture series that goes up on YouTube (2020 Creative Writing Lectures BYU) and the most recent one was about short story writing. Now, anyone who knows me also knows I can't give a simple instruction without going over the limit. Truly. So I watched it (twice) and did the exercise. First, this is …

Bending Tropes

Mistakes happen. They do. Lots of people make them, and that's why they taste so sour. What did I do? Confession time, I fear. Well, I bent a trope and the rope in the trope has a knot in the end that belted me on the backside and left a blue bruise. What? Oh, okay, …

Take a Holiday in a Story

This was supposed to be: How to Find a Reader … And it started like this: Ooooooh! BookClubs - love bookclubs ... which one? There are bookclubs out there, and places readers can apply to get pre-published books as long as they do a review. There are places readers can go to find books published …

Read the Cards

Hmmm, energy abounds, says one draw. But I'm a bit tired and might have a nap before I consider the message further ... Or maybe pull another card: Judgement. Yes, sounds much more interesting. Oh, Judgement. What does it mean - am I to sit in judgement? Of what or whom? Me or them? Do …

Who Is This Person?

Character, a Writerly Discussion: Lots of books deal with how to create characters, enhance a story with great characterisation, and other techniques – but ask this first: Why will a reader connect to this person? What’s special about them? Is it clear something needs to change? What is the journey they need to undertake to …