When I got started writing “seriously” (there’s a topic for another day!), I thought it was pretty straight forward. You write. You edit. You re-write. After a couple rounds, you submit it to a publishing site (my original intent was always self-publishing), and you’re done. Well, other than basking in the glow of work well... Continue Reading →

Over the last five years (at least.  I've only noticed it in that time), two arguments have raged in the writing community. Lines are drawn, hills defended, ditches chosen in which to die. Words are important to writers. That’s why we react in such a visceral manner when our understanding of how words ought to... Continue Reading →

I did not get as much reading done this year as I planned or wanted.  There was a variety of reasons, but a single result.  I reviewed 16 books this year.  The usual goal is a minimum of 24, so I fell short by a significant margin. Nevertheless, there were a handful of books that... Continue Reading →

This is another question that I see a lot in some of my writing forum haunts. Do you write on the computer or on paper? As with most questions of this kind, my base response is “Whatever works for you.” Use speech to text, type on a state of the art computer, or an old... Continue Reading →

As a writer, I struggle with a variety of tasks. While my spelling is generally excellent there are words I misspell on a consistent basis (“their” is a prime target). Commas are an occasional challenge, colons and semi-colons are much larger issues. And the whole em-dash vs en-dash question makes my head hurt. A dash... Continue Reading →

When I spend time on one of the writing forums where I’m a member, I see variations of the same question. “What’s the magic process for writing?” The authors asking the questions would never admit that this was the question they are asking, but it is. When the question concerns the correct time, the right... Continue Reading →