All I want is a place to write. All I want is a place to write and a pot of good coffee. All I want is a place to write and a pot of good coffee until it’s time for a beer. All I want is a place to write with a view. All I…
Category: Blog
Judging a Cover Not by the Book
When I received my cover art for my latest book, I was reasonably pleased. The colors set a mood that fit my story, the castle signaled that it was set in the medieval era, the models matched the appearance of my hero and heroine and their pose made it clear the book was a romance….
Dialects: To Phoneticize or Not To Phoneticize
When writing dialog for a character who speaks with an accent or dialect, the question always comes up – do you spell their quirks of speech phonetically (“Oy, ‘ow loverly that ‘oman be!”) or merely mention the accent and then go on to write their dialog in plain English? For myself, I don’t mind phonetically…
Critique Groups, Part 3: Finding Your Perfect Critters
I’ve posted before about the six types of toxic feedback, as well as five reasons to quit a group that’s not working. The good news is, when you find yourself in this position (because you inevitably will), there are countless opportunities to go forth and find new, improved crit partners. Whether you want to swap…
Yet another word on the importance of acting like your writing is a career, even if it isn’t…yet
As the Western Liaison for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, I schedule workshops about seven times per year on the Western Slope. It’s a long way from our side of the mountain to the Front Range, and the cost to attend events over there can be considerable. It’s a 500-mile round trip, about four hours each…