Doggie Dogmas for Living

This creative non-fiction photo essay has been excerpted from a (Oxymoron alert!) longer short work. ~ Doggie Dogmas for Living ~ Wolfie on Loyalty and Love He curled his tail between his legs...

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The Tantalizing Ten: January

It's a new year, so how about a new feature? I've decided to do something called The Tantalizing Ten where I share ten of my favorite blog articles, most targeted to writers, that I may have come...

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Inspiration Station: 25 Amazing Quotes on Writing

Every once in a while, I enjoying trolling the Internet to find some writing quotes that provide me with some inspiration. It could be after I had to fight to pull a research paper together, or when...

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Elizabeth Gilbert @ TED Talks: A new way to think about creativity

It's time for a little break from reading and writing to listen to a fascinating TED Talk on creativity. If you have not been introduced to TED Talks, I'm warning you, this stuff will ensnare you and...

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A Novel Problem: Traditional or Self-Publish?

Few things are as heady to me as walking into a used bookstore or a small library and being surrounded by the sweet scent of old books. If the bookstore or library has some of that old world character...

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Stray Thoughts: Meet Me in Outer Space

About Pessimism I have read many articles and come across quite a few people who are pessimistic about making a living writing fiction. In the past few weeks, as I've been considering options for...

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Cachinnating at Thesauri: The Proper Care and Feeding of Dialogue

Do you like to use a thesaurus? Really? That's great! Some writers say that thesauruses (thesauri?) are tools of the Devil. I disagree. I think they can be very useful in helping you find a better word...

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Comma Comma Chameleon: Punctuation for Fun and Profit

In this episode, we get to witness the beauty of true love and proper comma use. Open your hearts. Open your mind. And let the Comma Sutra be your guide. (ZOMG, POETRY!) Comma Orgy So, there I was,...

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Grabbing the Bull by the Horns: An Intro to POV

When learning the craft of writing there are many many MANY elements that are important. A novel is 20% creativity, 40% perseverance, and 60% knowledge of the craft... and 1% knowing math. Dialogue?...

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Walk Like an Egyptian: Plotting and Pyramids

Figure 1 Every story needs structure. In the way that a good bra holds up the girls, a good plot structure holds up your story. And without that underwire and cotton support your story becomes saggy,...

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Dress for Success

One interview tip that prospective employees are given is to dress for the job you want. This is one of those tips that can carry over into everything you do, as the way you dress reflects how other...

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Book Review: Corregidora

[T]hey didn't want to leave no evidence of what they done ... [a]nd I'm leaving evidence. And you got to leave evidence too. And your children got to leave evidence. And when it come time to hold up the...

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An Eye on the Prize: About Desire

When creating a complete character, one of the first things that any writer needs to consider is the desire that drives the character. What does your character need or want? How will your character's...

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