The flight from Las Vegas to Baltimore was smooth and on-time. It was the last flight before retirement and the culmination of an enjoyable week. Enjoyable not because I bowled well, but how does one not enjoy Las Vegas? My performance on the lanes disappointed me. My scores were the lowest …
Several months ago, I found a short-short story contest. The story had to be 1500 words or fewer. Entering it was an opportunity to take a break from editing my two first drafts and write something new. What to write? I have confessed in an earlier post my jealousy for …
I envy those who have a fertile imagination and have little difficulty finding a topic to blog. I, on the other hand, sit in my recliner staring at the blank computer screen. I sit wishing the words will write themselves, but my wish is in vain. Nothing appears until I …
This past week was a tough week for my wife and me. On 1 December, my wife’s Aunt Barbara passed away. She 86 years old. Two days previous, 29 November, my Aunt Jeanette passed. She was 81 years young. The ladies were exceptional women who left us with many …
I am not a writer if what many writing blog sites tell me is true. I would agree if I didn’t know better. The blogs tell me that a “real writer” writes every day or they suffer withdrawal. Writing is an addiction that must be fed constantly; writers never take …
I have been revising of my work-in-progress. I am 30% through it and I wonder if it is time to consider finding beta readers. My concern is I haven’t been at this very long and things the pros take for granted, I question or struggle with. Where do you find …
I joined an online critique group to gain reviews of my work in progress. I learned I had to earn the right to have my work critiqued by providing the service to others. This is an equitable trade. I find writing a critique to be work. The hardest thing for …
Writer’s block, the bane of every writer *so I have read* struck. All day, off and on, I struggled to find a topic for this week’s blog. I considered an update to Kiliane’s Rage. I am working the revision with the goal to send it to beta readers in July. …
The antagonist in Kiliane’s Rage, my work-in-progress, created an interesting problem for me. He is an egotistical individual with aspirations to greatness. The problem is how to introduce his backstory which is important to understanding his aspirations. I considered writing his early story in a prologue. But I have read …
Kiliane’s Rage is my work-in-progress written during NaNoWriMo. I rarely visited it during the holidays. In mid-January, I brought the draft out and began working with it again. I joined a critique group about the time I took Kiliane’s Rage out of hiding. I quickly learned a critique group …
