tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325001873538592702024-02-24T05:44:00.743-05:00Ellis Vidler's Unpredictable MuseThoughts on writing, grammar, the moon, and friends--whatever comes up.Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-4290454802317424162022-10-02T08:45:00.000-04:002022-10-02T16:32:19.193-04:00Short Excerpt from Time of Death
If Alex could ever get a damn paper,
she’d read the ads. What was happening in the world? Why did their newspaper
disappear every day. Mr. Foley’s son swore he left it every morning. An idea
dawned, and she smacked herself in the forehead, then grabbed the phone book.
“Mr. Foley, what time does your son
deliver the paper to Isobel Devore?” She’d see what happened to it for herself.
“Thanks.”
Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-23319672903180787352021-12-02T11:38:00.002-05:002021-12-02T11:38:25.186-05:00Those pesky commas again!Lately I've been seeing sentences with independent clauses joined by a conjunction in which the comma follows the conjunction. For example, She went to town but, he stayed home.Where did this come from? I've checked The Chicago Manual of Style and other authorities, and the standard still seems to apply. When independent clauses are joined
by conjunctions, including and, but, or, Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-84092568927747518662021-03-05T06:30:00.100-05:002021-03-05T06:57:22.744-05:00First Friday! Eldering. Whitaker. Vidler Finally! It’s
First Friday and three authors post their 150-word stories based on a single
photo.Photo by LM WhitakerEldering
Ghost
in the Graveyard
Gracie loved playing hide-and-seek with her older brothers,
but not the regular daytime one; the one played at night called ghost in the
graveyard.
One night the brothers agreed to be the seekers and allowed
Gracie to hide. She Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-77235689284728231552021-02-01T07:02:00.003-05:002021-02-01T07:02:22.855-05:00The right words have impactBy Lloyd Arnold, Public DomainThis is a story I’ve read and heard about for years (you probably have too), but not even Snopes can really confirm it. It doesn’t matter; it’s still a great story. In a discussion about brevity, someone bet Ernest Hemingway he couldn’t write a story in six words. He took the bet. This is the story attributed to him.For sale, baby shoes, never used.Can six words Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-44731744701977386432021-01-01T06:50:00.001-05:002021-01-03T14:11:13.387-05:00First Friday, First Day of 2021! Barley, Blackburn, Drier!First Friday! What a fun way to start the New Year! Three talented authors give their ideas on one photo.
Barley
"Savannah. Are
you out there?"
"mmhmm mmm . . . "
"What are you doing out there? Come in and start getting ready for the
party."
" ."
"It was your idea to have this shindig. Let's get this
thing going. People will be Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-10204328718565067452020-12-17T10:14:00.001-05:002020-12-17T10:20:25.224-05:00Author Showcase: Charles Dougherty The inspiration for
the J.R. Finn Sailing SeriesI was alone, tying my dinghy to a marina dock in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia. Looking down at the cleat as I secured the bow line, I was surprised when two bare feet came into view."Coming or going?"
a girl asked.
Glancing up at her, I saw
that she was deeply tanned, with shoulder-length hair bleached by sun and
saltwater. She wore cutoffs Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-47101525325186903882020-12-04T06:13:00.002-05:002020-12-04T09:25:24.844-05:00First Friday in December-Dougherty, Iyer, Vidler It’s First Friday, when three
authors post their 150-word stories based on a single picture. Read them! You
may find a new author to follow. Here’s the inspiration.Nick Fewing, UnsplashDougherty
It Ain't
So Bad, Really
Me and the dogs, we
seen better days. Worse days, too, though. Just now, it ain't so bad. We got
one another for company, and to keep warm. Out here's a pretty good place Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-83753730022547035962020-11-06T10:52:00.005-05:002020-11-06T10:59:24.685-05:00First Friday! Woohoo--Alexander, George, Helms! It's First Friday again, and time for a welcome distraction from the news. Three 150-word stories based on a single picture by three very different authors. Read them and find some great authors to love.Dreamstime by @RaggedstonedesignALEXANDER
"The Tree"
I
come here every year on our anniversary. I come to remember the day I carved
our initials on the trunk of this old tree. How her blueEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-69212285169620697022020-10-02T07:43:00.003-04:002020-10-04T15:07:11.060-04:00October First Friday--Bell, Carenen, ManningEdward Howell on Unsplash It's First Friday again, when three talented authors with different voices give their take on one photo in 150 words. Take a look at the authors--you'll want to see their books too.BELL
Well, that didn’t work out so good. My name is Frank Pushman
and I’m a confidential PI. The last thing I remember Vinnie the Snake Marconi
hires me to investigate his wife. Seems Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-12689591456859750432020-09-04T08:29:00.000-04:002020-09-04T08:29:43.882-04:00First Friday! West, Whitaker, Vidler Woohoo! It’s First Friday again—three little stories by
three markedly different authors, all based on one photo. Take a look. You may
find another author to love.Photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash
WEST
Jogging through the park on her morning run, the young
officer swiped at a trickle of sweat threatening her eye. The temperatures
soared even as the big clock on the corner Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-20319886953429248802020-08-07T08:49:00.000-04:002020-08-07T09:47:50.459-04:00First Friday--Christmas, Handley, Lazar
It’s First Friday! Read three great
little stories. Three very different authors share their takes on a single
picture.
CHRISTMAS
Dashed Dreams
The fetid odor drew Arlene
closer. With ballerina grace she rose to her toes, lifted herself, and landed
inside the dumpster. Restaurant discards squished under her boots, but off to a
side she spotted a Styrofoam container. When she flipped it Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-31608282774441873542020-07-03T10:34:00.004-04:002020-07-03T13:48:13.510-04:00FIRST FRIDAY! Iyer, Lewis, Sartor!It’s First
Friday, stories in about 150 words on one picture by three very different
authors. This month it’s Polly Iyer, Howard Lewis, and L.A. Sartor. Please join in and add your take on the photos (150 words) in the comments.
Iyer
A construction crew unearthed the forgotten kudzu-covered shack
while clearing
land for a new development. Roots and rot destroyed
everything inside exceptEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-13056195740515418022020-06-05T01:00:00.000-04:002020-06-05T07:26:43.116-04:00FIRST FRIDAY! Blackburn, Lovely, and Vidler
The Delivery Guy © Alberto Jorrin Rodriguez | Dreamstime.com
It's First Friday again! One picture, three short pieces by three very different authors. Check them out.
Blackburn
Send in the Clown
Tips, baby. It’s all about tips. And so I wear this mask … sometimes.
Because it’s also about who answers that door. If a woman answers, she screams,
yanks the pizza from me, Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-84047480549534784582020-05-01T08:10:00.000-04:002020-05-01T10:05:34.039-04:00First Friday! 3 visions, one photo--by Hallinan, Lane, Monajem
Reposting these great little stories from years ago. I loved these First Friday gems.
Hooray! It's First Friday again, and three great authors have described, in 150 words or less, what they saw in this picture. Each one had an entirely different idea. This is how creativity works. Wonderful examples.
HALLINAN
For thirty years, Andres played his guitar in the corner of the little Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-5150132028982521382020-03-13T07:57:00.001-04:002020-03-13T07:57:28.943-04:00Those Pesky Apostrophes
Plurals are formed by adding s or es to the root word. That’s it. Nothing else. This is a simple rule but apparently it’s a difficult one for some people to learn. When I see an apostrophe s instead of plural in a book, I think it’s a typo, but when I see several, I figure the author or editor doesn’t know how to form a plural. When I see misused apostrophes, I usually see Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-20902074546199662442019-06-12T11:18:00.000-04:002019-06-12T11:18:36.823-04:00One Picture, Three Views, Three Authors
Photo by Sunny Forest
From a few years ago. I asked Parris Afton Bonds, Yves Fey, and Rebecca George, three wonderful authors with backgrounds in romance, to give this a shot. The rules, as always, are to tell what they see in this photograph in 150 words or less.
BONDS
Her steps lagged as her eyes took in the old place. It had always been a retreat, a respite from the dutiful Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-14328760093113739862019-04-22T16:37:00.003-04:002019-04-22T16:39:35.293-04:00Inside the Mind of a Killer: Researching your Antagonist
I came across
this article by author DV Berkom, written a few years ago but well worth
re-posting. Here it is.
Author DV Berkom
So there I was, minding
my own business writing one of those truly twisted novels that grabs hold of
you and has to come out when I came
to the killer's debut. I'd never attempted to write a character quite so creepy
and wasn't relishing that first passage. In factEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-65681056146880532932019-01-09T09:47:00.002-05:002019-01-09T09:54:14.319-05:00Reposted from DV Berkom's Awesome Authors–Ellis Vidler
My guest today on Awesome Authors is the fabulous
mystery-suspense author, Ellis Vidler. I’ve known Ellis since I found the
supportive writer’s group, Sisters-in-Crime, and their sub-group, the Guppies.
Ellis is an author, editor, and speaker. She grew up in North Alabama, studied
English and art at All Saints College for Women, and thoroughly enjoyed
studying creative writing under the great Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-28010305369188793982018-01-25T15:21:00.000-05:002018-01-25T15:21:35.460-05:00Ear of the Listener
I’m giving away one audiobook of Cold Comfort to a commenter on this blog. Grace Lowe is an amazing
narrator, and she brings the characters to life. I just listened to it again and
was caught up in Claire Spencer’s story, much as I was the first time I heard
it. The audio brings out all kinds of things I didn’t expect. Listen to the sample at Audible.com .
Cold Comfort, Audible.com
Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-29328532765405900442017-12-09T18:27:00.000-05:002017-12-09T19:21:48.142-05:00Christmas traditions
'Twas the night before Christmas
Christmas in my family has, or had, many traditional activities. Some have gone by the wayside as the family dwindled--there are only seven of us here, but we get together and eat and enjoy each other, and eat some more, and finally nap. Son John and sister Christy are the best cooks, but we all help.
So far, two of my characters like to cook, Claire in&Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-76292457727333740312017-10-03T16:56:00.000-04:002017-10-03T16:56:22.657-04:00Showing Character
Do you like to see images of main characters, or do you
prefer to let your imagination create the picture? I have ideas but love to see
pictures. I collect them from various places to use for references, such as for
Claire and Riley, the characters in Cold
Comfort, for Madeleine in Prime
Target, and for the others. I keep interesting faces to use in minor roles.
Claire, Cold Comfort
But Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-50307682254645965942017-09-16T17:00:00.001-04:002017-09-16T17:02:57.739-04:00I blame Kerry Greenwood
For all these muffins I’ve been making. In addition to the
charming Miss Fisher series, she writes the Corinna Chapman books, which, aside
from some great characters and a wonderful flat and bakery, feature muffins.
Carrot Muffins
Corinna owns Earthly Delights, a wonderful bread bakery. Ms.
Greenwood does an outstanding job of describing the aroma and taste of Jason’s
muffins and even Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-28293256240996871272017-03-17T22:12:00.005-04:002017-03-17T22:12:59.466-04:00
McClellanville, SC
Williamsburg Photo Ser Amantio di Nicolao
COLD COMFORT was a fun book to write. I pored
over maps, websites, and real estate ads, looking for the right neighborhoods
and houses for the characters. I wrote to friends who live in D.C. for
information on the traffic, how to get around, and where typical people might
live.
Mistletoe window
Then I spent a few Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-81035128200704562282017-01-11T08:23:00.001-05:002017-01-11T08:23:46.567-05:00Making the heart pound
Zenyatta
In
an action or dramatic scene, one in which the emotions are high and the reader is on the
edge of the seat, the mood is tense, the writing tight. Define the emotional goal of the scene. Use all the senses, the
coppery taste of blood, the cold sting of the rain, the smell of old fish.
Limit the number of adjectives (descriptive words). Cut any that aren’t
absolutely necessary. Find Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-8441641051458307252016-12-04T09:38:00.001-05:002020-12-20T11:07:54.790-05:00COLD COMFORT Read an Excerpt
Amazon Kindle
This scene takes place soon after Riley begins working on Claire's case.
“Thanks. Take the rest of the cookies.” Claire slipped her
feet into her shoes and went to the counter for something to put the treats in. “Riley ate a cake last night and doesn’t
need any more sugar.” She slid the cookies into a red bag and handed it to
Mary. “Tell Damien hi and I’ll see him Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com0