When I started writing my first book, I didn’t plot. I chose a time period I loved and imagined a dynamic, larger-than-life hero and a heroine who was a lot like me. Since it was a romance, I knew it ended up with them together and happy. But that was all I knew. About three…
Tag: ideas
My Love Affair with the Written Word
Writers love to read. Writers love other writers. Writers love the written word. There is nothing that makes my heart and my mind tingle more than a clever, profound, or artfully worded turn of phrase in something I’m reading. “A fanatic can no more shut his mouth than he can open his mind.” – Will…
Crafting a Killer Title
Since I’m between drafts on my novel-in-progress, I’ve been working on a lot of short stories lately. Besides honing my writing skills, the experience has given me new appreciation for an oft-overlooked element of the short story: the title. It may be the smallest part of the story, but the title gives the biggest first…
Words Matter
As a mere child, I’d cut letters from words to make more words. For example, from the title of this blog, Words Matter: matt, rat, as, word, sword, words, matter, toward, wad, or, more, war, roar, stat, at, dot, draw, date, mate, rate, ate, watt, smart. Then, I’d form silly sentences: Draw Matt as a…
Guest Post: Stephen A. Benjamin – Ideas: Where Do They Come From?
By Stephen A. Benjamin How many times have writers been asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” If we all had the proverbial nickel for each . . . Every time I give some nebulous and unsatisfying answer to the cocktail party query, I wonder if I should have something more cogent in my reply, and…