Enter the Dragon: The Art of Beating the Sh*t Out of Your Characters

My toddlers and I love using our imaginations when playing with Little People action figures and Beanie Babies. However, I think my five-year-old has more fun messing with the carefully created plots that I craft for our playtime. For example, I enjoy the mundane story with generic problems while playing with my kiddos. It's typically …

Quotes to Write By – Day 29 What’s In a Name? More Than You Think!

Disclaimer: The following analysis of characters and their names are solely my opinion and conclusions I've drawn from being a wordsmith, character creator, and a lover of names. Juliet, from the play, Romeo and Juliet, speaks this famous line. She argues that it doesn't matter that the young man Romeo whom she loves is a …

Quotes to Write By – Day 23 Writer vs Author?

Quote #23 "Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it." Sidonie Gabrielle Based on this quote, I want to be an author. Other differences between what makes an …

Quotes to Write By – Day 22

So far, I've written the first five chapters (one chapter behind) of Moondust. And so far, all of the ideas that I've created and outlined seem to fit well. They seem to make sense, heighten tension, and flesh out the characters. Of course when I've completed this first draft that may change. And that's okay. …

Quotes to Write By – Day 21

I've been writing for a while and each day I realize that there's so much more I need to learn. I remember over a decade ago when my most favorite professor, Dr. Byrd told me that I had a unique writing voice. He pointed out to me that I needed to hold onto it, to …

Quotes to Write By – Day 19

Earlier today I attended the critique group that I belong to. I also pushed myself to write the first three chapters of Moondust, an upper middle-grade novel that is one serving size of Nightmare-on-Elm-Street-horror, a tablespoon of Wan and Whannell's Saw, a generous sprinkling of middle school drama, and two dashes of dream god fantasy. …

Quotes to Write By – Day 18

Last Saturday, I attended my critique group, Pinellas Writers, with a mission: To read and get valuable feedback on a picture book that I wanted to submit to a major publishing house. Ironically, as I read the manuscript I couldn't stop shaking or sweating. I held the podium until my fingers ached and grew slick …

Quotes to Write By – Day 17

I love watching shows and reading books that involve a lot of conflict, tension, and suspense. "I love reading books where nothing happens and the characters just stand around doing nothing." Said No One Ever Likewise, as a writer I want to make sure that I give my readers what they want and screaming for …

Quotes to Write By – Day 10

Oh oh! I was so exhausted yesterday that I was unable to post! So, without further ado . . . here is TODAY'S (well, yesterday's quote that I'm giving today) QUOTE! 🙂 Quote #10 "A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing." Eugène Ionesco I love …