“Write what you know,” they say. Well, the protagonist in one of my WIPs (works-in-progress, and yes, plural, because doesn’t everyone work on multiple novels at the same time? No? Hmmm…) is a committed lone wolf caught up in a controversy he’s not interested in being caught up in. There are bad guys. Missing friends. […]
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How to Write Stories that Bore Your Readers – On the RMFW Blog
Are your stories too exciting? Are they keeping your readers up past their bedtimes? Are they causing book clubs to swoon? Well, fear not, gentle writer, for I have compiled a list of 10 ways you can suck the energy right out of your writing. If your dream is to craft a story so boring […]
Aliens, Cows, and Story Ideas
A friend recently told a group of us that the county I live in, out here in eastern Colorado, was a hot-spot for crop circles and cattle mutilation back in the 1970s. Let me tell you, nothing derails a perfectly mundane writers’ discussion about passive voice like UFOs. “You mean, seriously? Or were they hoaxes?” […]
Character Development: Use Poetry to Find a Character’s Voice – On the RMFW Blog
In honor of National Poetry Month (April), I talk about how fiction writers can wade into the murky waters of a writing a simple poem to help find their fictional characters’ voices. Check out my article on the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers blog: “Using Poetry to Explore a Character’s Voice in Fiction.”
A Book-Lover’s Birthday in New York City
A few weeks ago, a dear friend of mine and I decided the sting of our March birthdays could be made more bearable by celebrating them in New York City. We were right. We’d originally decided to go because one of our favorite playwrights, Tom Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia, Shakespeare in Love, […]
Ten Things Writers Never Want to Hear
My admin can type really fast, so we don’t need to hire a writer. I have a great idea for a book based on my life growing up as a middle child in an average family. Will you write it for me? I just got fired, so instead of looking for a new job, I’m […]
