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Reader Feedback and the Story The first draft of The Peach Widow is finished. Now for edits before publishng. But along the way, when I took the next-to-the-last chapter to my Word Blenders writers group there was a hue and cry at the ending of the chapter. Readers Get Invested in the Story Spoiler Alert…
Wander, Ramble, and Roam Writers write. Sometimes I wander around in my head looking for a place where I can meet someone. A music loving friend, Dave Pipe, from Sussex, England, might call it a mental womble. I think about various places and visit them. I look around to see who is there. I meet…
The Call to Battle Demons I’m a bit tired of heroes who seemed conceived to illustrate the author’s genius in coming up with exotic reasons why the hero has a character flaw or emotional challenge or disability that he/she must overcome. Life offers up challenges for all of us. So, following my own guidelines, I…
Playing with Writing A writer who wants to write good stuff needs to read great stuff. Ursula LeGuin says in her book Steering the Craft: A 21st-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story. The book is a guide for writers. Each exercise is prefaced by examples from writers followed by a writing exercise following…
The Five Rules for a Book Review For authors getting book reviews is a big hurdle. Often even your loyalist fans who love your book are intimidated to actually post a review. Make it simple for them. Whenever you can, assure your readers that they don’t need to be brilliant, or write a long…
Story Shop has Closed. The concepts still work but I am unable to share examples. Master Mystery Outline Template I am using Story Shop to create a master outline template for mysteries. The software is still in development stage with a generic outline. The developers have plans for outline templates in the future, but in…
First Author Interview My first author interview. I am excited. Thanks so much to fellow author Katherine Hayton for inviting me to interview for her website. Enjoy the interview. If you have any questions, get in touch zara@zaraaltair.com. I love talking with readers and other authors. Zara Altair – The Used VirginPlease tell us a bit about…
Factions for a Time Today football (soccer) fans go wild in the street causing disruption, injury, and even death. Every era has its fanatics. In the time of Theoderic religious interpretations of the nature of Christ caused the same kind of eruptions. My favorite fictional description is from Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague deCamp, a…
StoryShop for Planning a Novel The beta version of StoryShop, an online application for building a story, is out. The aim of the application? Here’s what the creators have to say. The better you know your characters, your plot’s key points, and your world before you start writing, the better and faster the story will pour…
Research is Background, Not the Story Historical research, especially for a time when not much original material from the period survives, can be daunting. At any given time my desktop may be covered with notebooks, maps, and reference books. Or I may be looking at a collection of photos I took at the Domus dei…
