Okay, I’ll be honest. Until the past few years, when I heard the term, AI, I thought it meant, Artificial Insemination. Seriously. I’ve worked around cattle…and…well…. I’ve gotten over that little communication hitch. What Is Artificial Intelligence? A = Artificial = false, fake, bogus, simulated, faux, imitated, mimic, counterfeit. I = Intelligence = Intellect, aptitude,…
As fiction writers, one of the most important tasks we have is to keep our readers wanting more. One way to do that is through the use of surprise. But what happens when the surprise becomes too predictable? We’ve all read novels where we could easily anticipate what was coming and found ourselves disappointed when…
I think it’s time to talk about filter words. I feel that filter words are sneaky. I look around and see them everywhere. I wonder if they’re unnecessary, because they seem to clutter up our writing. I remember how easily they can slip into our writing yet how hard they can be to delete. Yes,…
I’ve never been a fan of romance stories. I don’t read them unless I’m required and I rarely watch romantic movies, even romantic comedies. Thus, I never thought I’d ever be the author of romance-themed stories. Nope, not me. Over the last seven years, in addition to all the non-fiction writing I do, I’ve penned…
It was one of the lowest points of my life. My career was in tatters and I was in a job that I hated. I felt like a total failure. Then I had a herniated spinal disc that required emergency surgery. I’ve since learned that anesthesia, or maybe it’s the trauma of surgery itself, causes…