Lists are great. Lists can keep you organized, remind you of your priorities, or prevent you from making a faux pas (by forgetting to invite Aunt Myrtle to the birthday party, for instance). They help you remember to pick up yogurt at the grocery story, and they can show you how many more editing changes […]
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What Writers are Thankful For – On the RMFW Blog
We writers have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season, no matter how many rejection letters we’ve received, or how many revisions we’ve made on our latest work-in-progress (with the end still out of sight). I’m counting some of the things I’m most grateful for as a writer this month, and you’ll find them […]
Songwriting Sparks at the Bluebird Café
The Bluebird Café in Nashville has a storied past, as die-hard country music fans will tell you. Not being one of those, I hadn’t heard of it before this past weekend. Shame on me. The Bluebird Café is a tiny little “listening room” tucked into an unassuming strip mall, far from the noise and neon […]
Present Tense vs Past Tense – On the RMFW Blog
If you’ve wondered whether the story you’re writing should be in present tense or past tense, you’re in good company. The short answer is: do whatever feels right for you and your story. Since that’s about as helpful as a crocheted bicycle, however, I decided to dive a little deeper into the debate. Read about […]
Writers Have Keen Observation Skills – Or So I’ve Heard
Keen observation skills. That’s pretty much an essential quality for a writer, right? We observe setting. We observe atmosphere. We observe human nature. We observe conflict and emotion and irony. But boy, I’d be lousy as a crime scene witness. Detective: “Can you describe the perpetrator?” Me: “Um. I think it was a white guy.” […]
The Value of Writing Short Stories – On the RMFW Blog
When another writer asked me if writing short stories was “worth it,” I realized it depends—as it does in so many aspects of life—on how you define “worth.” For me, it’s worth it for many reasons. But you may define “worth” differently. This week, I discuss this concept over on the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s […]
