Every editor and writing instructor will tell you how important the beginning of a book is. It sets the stage, draws the reader in, and likely influences whether the reader will buy (and read) the book at all. Lately I’ve been thinking about the importance of endings. My thoughts were drawn there partly because I’m…
So, COVID came to call on July 7. Initial symptoms passed quickly with medication and rest, but brain-fog and fatigue lingered for just short of two months. During that time, I ceased all writing activities–including this blog. Which is why I missed my deadline. During recovery, I couldn’t entertain more than one muddled thought at…
For the last ten months, I’ve been supplementing my income by writing serials on a platform called Vella, which is managed by Amazon. For more info on how Vella works, check out my older blog posts on this topic (here and here). I’ll also be presenting on this topic at our upcoming RMFW conference! Writing…
Well, not the final final part. You still have to come to my workshop at the Colorado Gold Conference next month. And of course, that isn’t the final lesson, either. As with most skills, reading publicly is a lifelong learning experience that improves with practice. Speaking of practice, how do you prepare for a reading?…
Books that are also movies Old Yeller by Fred Gipson and Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls? (Just the titles make me cry.) Jack London’s, White Fang takes us on quite an emotional journey. Based on L. Frank Baum’s book series, The Wizard of Oz was an annual Easter family event in our…