If I were to have a nightmare, I’m pretty sure that it would be about commas. There are so many rules about how to use this little punctuation mark correctly that it can drive a person insane. Some of these rules are easy to remember though. What is a comma splice? Splice means to join…
New ideas for characters, all wrapped up and ready to be written about, present themselves when you read about strange things in the news. Never would I have thought about creating a character who believed she was a cat, at least not until I ran across this gem—The Slippery Slope Is Here: Woman Says She…
Does chicken noodle soup help get rid of coals or colds? Would you store your valuables in a coffer or in a cougher? Is a football game played in a coliseum or a Colosseum? coalition, collation A coalition is a union or temporary alliance between persons, groups, factions, etc. A coalition between the two teams was needed…
When you read, the words should magically teleport you to another land, time, or universe filled with other people, animals, or creatures. You lose yourself in a fantasy world and live vicariously through someone, maybe even something, else. The enchanting art of teleportation needs to be used as you write. Put yourself in the place…
Why did she want to write a book exploring the boundaries of sexual attraction that society has? How did she research this book? Which character and which scene were her favorites? What age was she when she first had the desire to write? What advice does she have for writers? What made you want to…
I never thought of myself as a writer. I never thought I would enjoy it the way that I do today. Like that little boy, Mikey, in the old cereal commercials, I tried it, and as soon as the flavor hit me, I started gobbling it down. Note: This giest post was originally published on…
I didn’t set out to become a poet nor did I sit down one day thinking I would try to write a poem. For me it began more circuitously. It began with a foreign tongue. For me, reading and more importantly translating is the way I first discovered the stirrings of my own voice within.…
If you write or have ever wanted to write, everyone will tell you the same thing: write what you know! As it turns out, that is exactly what I do in all my books. Sometimes it’s a little truth I’ve made not so little. . . just for fun. In my latest book, Service Before Self,…
Does your dog like to bark or barque? Is the deserted land baron or barren? Do they add basal or basil to Italian seasoning? There is a ham cooking. Will you baste it or will you based it? Does your dog like to bask or basque in the sun? bark, barque A bark is either the outer…
“Literary” is a type of book many people admire, but it’s not a genre that people necessarily seek. It’s even hard to call it a genre the way “mystery,” “romance,” and “paranormal” might be. Books that appear on Amazon’s literary bestseller list, for example, reveal how widely defined “literary” really is. For instance, this week,…
