Ideas for Real Life Characters

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One day late, but I'm here. Welcome from Gail Gaymer Martin @www.gailmartin.com Writers Digest had an excellent article on characterization in January 2011 written by David Corbett. A small part of that article was subtitled Real-Life Characters, and it offered a list of possible characters you might find in your own life. The author suggested you create a list of interesting people and provide a details, physical appearance, and the effect this person had on you. This activity triggered a double idea which I’d like to share with you.

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PUGS Pointers #2

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Hi! I’m Kathy Ide, and in addition to being a published author, I’m a full-time professional freelance editor. For CAN, I’m blogging about “PUGS”–Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling…tips for writers based on the most common mistakes I see in the manuscripts I edit. Each blog post will have one tip for each of the four categories, as well as a reason it’s important for authors to “polish their PUGS.” (For more PUGS tips, check out my website, www.KathyIde.com, or get a copy of my book “Polishing the PUGS” (available through the website or at the conferences I teach at). If you’re interested…

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Storm preparation for writers

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Aloha from Karen, Having survived Hurricane Andrew with half my house damaged and many items blown into the everglades, I know a little about what to expect from a hurricane. Irene is headed my way. It’s important back up files and take other steps.

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Toward Poetry Revival

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   I have loved poetry since the age of seventeen when I discovered Byron, Keats, and Shelley. As I matured, I came to love deeper masters like Virgil, Spenser, Donne, Milton, and Tennyson, as well as Homer and Dante in translation. But something bad happened to poetry about a hundred years ago, so that many of today's readers are completely turned off toward poetry. It doesn't have to be that way. In my CAN blogs I will encourage a revival of good-quality poetry that can be enjoyed by ordinary readers, and I'll describe and illustrate techniques that can make it…

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PUGS Pointers #1

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Karen Whiting graciously invited me to do a monthly CAN blog on PUGS Pointers and other editing tips. If you’re not familiar with the term, “PUGS” is my acronym for Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling. In this blog, I’ll share tips on PUGS rules that writers struggle with most, based on my years as a professional freelance editor. I’ll also explain why it’s important for writers to polish their PUGS. Each monthly blog will address one item in each area. For more PUGS Pointers, see my website, www.KathyIde.com. Or you can get my book “Polishing the PUGS,” through the “Published…

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WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING STYLE

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Happy four days after the 4th of July from novelist Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com Newer authors struggle with writing technique, and long time writers still find elements in writing that are their nemesis. Being aware of problem areas in your writing can help you improve as a writer by focusing on them and finding ways to improve those techniques. Here are a few tips on become a better writer.

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Being a Team Player

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Aloha from Karen I’ve been working with one of my editors who wants changes to books I wrote. He sends very gracious messages. I know he wants the best for the book and doesn’t want me upset, but wants to bring out the best work I can do. I’m all for having a better, more saleable product that will reach more readers so I cooperate and rewrite. And I love how the changes have been coming out. I’m also working on a book with a co-author. We need to be a team and I love my co-author. That’s how t…

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Consumed?

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Happy New Year from Jeanette. Yes, it has been awhile since you heard from me. A lot happened at once and some things got set aside. Today I started to wonder though, if commitments like blogging got neglected because I was overwhelmed by circumstances that were far more important, or because I let them consume me. Maybe it was a little of both. Sometimes it’s hard to tell isn’t it?

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Story Part IV: Following the Rules

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Good morning from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com When creating story, the author should remember that each genre has its own set of patterns or “rules.” By rules, I mean reader expectations and qualities editors look for in your manuscript. These patterns or rules do not exclude creativity. If that were so, authors would lose their spirit. Within the expected genre patterns, authors have great leeway to create unique stories. So let's take a look at the various patterns for romance, mystery and suspense, and speculative fiction such as: fantasy, paranomral and adventure,

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10 Ways To Overcome the Fear of Writing

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I’m afraid to write. And I’m a writer. Crazy, huh? This is Susy Flory. I’ve written four nonfiction books so far and yet, every time I sit down to write, I am afraid. I have a very hard time getting started. Have you ever felt that way? If so, you are not alone. Many, many, many successful and multi-published writers tremble each time they pick up a pencil (or a keyboard). “Writing and fear go together,” wrote Ralph Keyes. “If you’re not scared, you’re not writing.”

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