Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Ten Mistakes Writers Don't See (But Can Easily Fix When They Do)
This article comes from > Holt Uncensored :: A Candid Look at Books and the Book Industry : Publishing News : Booksellers : Bookstores : Reviews Interviews.
Thursday, January 01, 2004
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Discovery on Arrival
He really looked forward to the drive home. For one thing, he'd been at work since 11 am the previous morning. For another thing, he just wanted to be with his family.
It often seemed like the drive home during the early morning hours took longer than the drive to work in the daytime; he didn't know whether it was that the traffic signals were on a different pattern or he just felt that it was different in his mind.
He eventually made it home in one piece and parked the car his family had borrowed in the lot in front of their apartment. After shutting the car off, he sat quietly for a brief moment and got out. He sauntered toward the steps and then was suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He saw what at first appeared to be a large mound of clothes in the stairwell at the bottom floor. Upon closer examination, however, he noticed instead that it was the lifeless body of his upstairs neighbor. Chills ran up and down his spine, and he shook with fear.
He unlocked his apartment door. Since it was so late at night, he was careful not to wake the rest of his family. He picked up the phone and dialed 911.
He really looked forward to the drive home. For one thing, he'd been at work since 11 am the previous morning. For another thing, he just wanted to be with his family.
It often seemed like the drive home during the early morning hours took longer than the drive to work in the daytime; he didn't know whether it was that the traffic signals were on a different pattern or he just felt that it was different in his mind.
He eventually made it home in one piece and parked the car his family had borrowed in the lot in front of their apartment. After shutting the car off, he sat quietly for a brief moment and got out. He sauntered toward the steps and then was suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He saw what at first appeared to be a large mound of clothes in the stairwell at the bottom floor. Upon closer examination, however, he noticed instead that it was the lifeless body of his upstairs neighbor. Chills ran up and down his spine, and he shook with fear.
He unlocked his apartment door. Since it was so late at night, he was careful not to wake the rest of his family. He picked up the phone and dialed 911.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Some Thoughts
Sometimes when my creativity runs wild, I am usually not in a position to record what I'm thinking. I spend time driving home late at night from work, and I often have the beginnings of mysteries in my mind, like what I see on the TV shows CSI and Without A Trace.
These thoughts are very weird indeed. I guess they are supposed to be that way, since they involve crime. Like the time when I imagined my daughter disappearing from the library because she was in the Children's section and I was in a different one.
The idea of psychological profiling all interests me. I think I'm naturally introspective, and I've read and seen other mysteries in which psychological profiling is used.
Sometimes when my creativity runs wild, I am usually not in a position to record what I'm thinking. I spend time driving home late at night from work, and I often have the beginnings of mysteries in my mind, like what I see on the TV shows CSI and Without A Trace.
These thoughts are very weird indeed. I guess they are supposed to be that way, since they involve crime. Like the time when I imagined my daughter disappearing from the library because she was in the Children's section and I was in a different one.
The idea of psychological profiling all interests me. I think I'm naturally introspective, and I've read and seen other mysteries in which psychological profiling is used.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Ideas for a Novel
Life imitates art or vice versa. To see what I mean, ask yourself whether you could develop a mystery scene based on the first two sentences in this article from the Dayton Daily News:
Life imitates art or vice versa. To see what I mean, ask yourself whether you could develop a mystery scene based on the first two sentences in this article from the Dayton Daily News:
A 20-year-old man burglarizing an apartment pried open a tackle box and found nude photos of young girls, including his little sister.
The man turned himself and the pictures into police, who later arrested the apartment's tenant, a registered sex offender now facing a possible life sentence after being charged with rape of a child under the age of 13 and illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
WritersDigest.com | The 101 Best Websites for Writers
I feel like I've struck gold, thanks to Jenny, the Creative Tech Writer, who points to the link above. I think she does indeed have a life. I think I can waste a lot of time (waste seems like too strong of a word, though) browsing these sites.
I feel like I've struck gold, thanks to Jenny, the Creative Tech Writer, who points to the link above. I think she does indeed have a life. I think I can waste a lot of time (waste seems like too strong of a word, though) browsing these sites.
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Dayton Area Writers!
The Next meeting of the Writers Group will be Monday, October 20th at 7:00 pm, Books & Co. in the Business section near the front table.
Contact me if you're interested in attending. Or, if you go in response to this post, please let Bill know that you found out about the group from this weblog!
Thanks!
The Next meeting of the Writers Group will be Monday, October 20th at 7:00 pm, Books & Co. in the Business section near the front table.
Contact me if you're interested in attending. Or, if you go in response to this post, please let Bill know that you found out about the group from this weblog!
Thanks!
Sound Advice for Those Who Want to Write
Roberta, a blogger from Canada, reflects on her own writing career and shares some things she's learned from her own research.
Roberta, a blogger from Canada, reflects on her own writing career and shares some things she's learned from her own research.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Markets and Jobs for Writers
From the About page:
crossposted to Get That Job!
From the About page:
"WritersWeekly.com is the highest-circulation freelance writing ezine in the world, reaching more than 70,000 writers each week. It has been published continuously since 1997."Check out the links and other information about how to make money through putting your writing talent to work.
crossposted to Get That Job!
Monday, October 13, 2003
Reflection
I sit at the keyboard
Thinking about
My time tomorrow
With the therapist
I wonder about
What to say
How've I been
What's going on
Inside My Mind
Sometimes
I go in
with nothing
to say
Sometimes
I have a lot
I hurt and
I feel joy
I laugh and
I cry
A creature of habit
One, many bad ones
Hard to break
Why the picking
Why the obsession
Why the self-harm
Why not just leave
myself alone
with time to heal
Impatient, I
I look
for other
ways
to keep my hands
busy
Left to myself
I could seriously harm
Is it only my hands
Or do I bite as well?
I hurt myself and then
I care for myself
I feel regret
I feel anger
I feel relief yet
I sit at the keyboard
Thinking about
My time tomorrow
With the therapist
I wonder about
What to say
How've I been
What's going on
Inside My Mind
Sometimes
I go in
with nothing
to say
Sometimes
I have a lot
I hurt and
I feel joy
I laugh and
I cry
A creature of habit
One, many bad ones
Hard to break
Why the picking
Why the obsession
Why the self-harm
Why not just leave
myself alone
with time to heal
Impatient, I
I look
for other
ways
to keep my hands
busy
Left to myself
I could seriously harm
Is it only my hands
Or do I bite as well?
I hurt myself and then
I care for myself
I feel regret
I feel anger
I feel relief yet
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Mystery Writers
Jenny, aka, the creative tech writer, thinks this information may be useful to mystery writers.
Jenny, aka, the creative tech writer, thinks this information may be useful to mystery writers.
Friday, September 05, 2003
My Calling
We are called to live lives full of adventure. I especially crave it. I regret having been afraid in my earlier years to venture outside my comfort zone. My current circumstances have forced me out of it, and I am able to see more possibilities and have more joy and excitement.
Yet I know well that I am holding back a bit. I would love to write for a living, yet I know that it's not easy to make a living from doing that. Not as easy as getting a bartending job at a restaurant, for example. I also would love to teach young children. English. That was my favorite subject in high school. I didn't take it in college because I tested out of it.
I want to remain receptive to whatever life has in store for me. It may be something different from what I see now. We'll see.
We are called to live lives full of adventure. I especially crave it. I regret having been afraid in my earlier years to venture outside my comfort zone. My current circumstances have forced me out of it, and I am able to see more possibilities and have more joy and excitement.
Yet I know well that I am holding back a bit. I would love to write for a living, yet I know that it's not easy to make a living from doing that. Not as easy as getting a bartending job at a restaurant, for example. I also would love to teach young children. English. That was my favorite subject in high school. I didn't take it in college because I tested out of it.
I want to remain receptive to whatever life has in store for me. It may be something different from what I see now. We'll see.
Tuesday, August 05, 2003
Newswriting.com - The 100 Worst "Groaners"
"A 'groaner' is a hackneyed, overblown, stuffy or just plain silly cliché that turns up time after time in news scripts. Groaners show laziness on the part of writers, disrespect for the folks watching, and a general contempt for lively English. Here are some of the worst offenders. You’ll recognize them immediately, so get ready to groan!" Read more...
I got the link from another writer in my blogroll, but I forgot which one it was. Sorry!
"A 'groaner' is a hackneyed, overblown, stuffy or just plain silly cliché that turns up time after time in news scripts. Groaners show laziness on the part of writers, disrespect for the folks watching, and a general contempt for lively English. Here are some of the worst offenders. You’ll recognize them immediately, so get ready to groan!" Read more...
I got the link from another writer in my blogroll, but I forgot which one it was. Sorry!
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
Renaissance Sistah
I found this blog in my referral logs. Pretty cool. I've often thought of myself as a Renaissance man, ever since high school English, in fact.
I found this blog in my referral logs. Pretty cool. I've often thought of myself as a Renaissance man, ever since high school English, in fact.
Sunday, July 27, 2003
Thursday, July 24, 2003
The Key to a Successful Freelance Career: A Diary crossposted to Get That Job!
A humorous account of a day in the life of a freelance writer.
A humorous account of a day in the life of a freelance writer.
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