tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325001873538592702012-01-27T15:47:09.441-08:00Ellis Vidler's Unpredictable MuseThoughts on writing, grammar, the moon, and friends--whatever comes up.Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-35040102913349122602012-01-23T17:48:00.000-08:002012-01-23T17:48:42.613-08:00When Mayzie Flies the Coop
Lois Winston, author of a delightful mystery series, is my guest this week. When Ellis invited me to do a guest blog at The Unpredictable Muse to promote the release of Death By Killer Mop Doll, the latest book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series, it took me no time at all to decide the topic of my post. I had to talk about Mayzie.Mayzie is my muse. She’s as temperamental as her Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-27162066146832146972012-01-21T05:31:00.000-08:002012-01-21T05:31:00.606-08:00My KDP Select Experience--with numbersI wanted to be open about this process, so I'm giving the exact figures. Sales of my first mystery, Haunting Refrain, had fallen steadily, going from 16 eBooks sold in June to 2 in October. In anticipation of Cold Comfort coming out in December, I did a little promotion for it and reduced the price to .99. It sold 5 at $2.99 and then 10 copies at .99, almost enough to buy a Big Mac. In January I Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-79596239752684968492012-01-17T03:11:00.000-08:002012-01-17T03:11:56.532-08:00InspirationBernadette Walsh, author of The House on Prospect and Gold Coast Wives, is my guest. A few years ago I attended what was billed as the “Griffin Tree Family Reunion.” Four sisters --the roots of the Griffin Tree -- immigrated from County Kerry, Ireland to Brooklyn, New York in the 1920s/1930s. My paternal grandmother, Gert Griffin, was one of the four sisters. As many descendants as we Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-83270797453871846472012-01-14T04:09:00.000-08:002012-01-15T04:00:21.967-08:00Haunting RefrainThis is an excerpt from Haunting Refrain, my mystery with a little romance and a touch of paranormal.
Martin looked sick. “Do you have any feeling about the person strangling her? Was it someone she knows?”“A man, I think. I couldn't see, but I have an impression of size and strength that suggests a man. That's all.” She looked up at him. “Please tell me what this is about.” “Only one more Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-22337785626897867342012-01-10T03:18:00.000-08:002012-01-10T03:18:12.377-08:00Late Bloomers This week my guest is Patricia Driscoll, author of Shedding Light on Murder. I’m a debut author. My first novel, “Shedding Light on Murder,” will be released by Five Star /Gale in January 2012. But, I’m no debutante. In fact, I’ve reached a certain age, no specifics of course, where I think I might be best described as a late bloomer.I started writing after my retirement as a probation officer. Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-39701509573724353722012-01-07T05:04:00.000-08:002012-01-07T05:04:21.846-08:00Finding Those Dead SpotsWhen I get seriously into revising something, I dig out the highlighters to help me find the dead spots, the ones that put the reader to sleep. I work on a chapter at a time and read, looking for a specific element in the story. Backstory is usually my first element. I highlight everything that's backstory in that chapter with a yellow marker.
Then I look for description and mark it in pink. Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-39096852146928726132012-01-02T18:15:00.000-08:002012-01-02T18:15:53.897-08:00Right, What You Know
Buy at Amazon
My guest this week is Matt Iden, author of three very good short-story collections that range from "straight crime action to chilling psychological conflicts to darkly humorous situations."
"Write what you know." It's probably the most common opening line in writers' guides. The implication is that your personal experience is an untapped vein of precious tales, nuggets of Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-44926915932143969472011-12-31T05:24:00.000-08:002011-12-31T05:24:28.655-08:00Hunting Characters
Characters
Finding surface-level characters is one of the most fun parts of writing. For me, it starts with visual impact. These are just a few ideas on how to come up with them. You may start by selecting the type of person you need and going out to look for her or him. Try the park on a sunny afternoon, the local mall, or the McDonald's near the high school. Sit with a book or cup of coffee Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-77823266118794117932011-12-26T18:11:00.000-08:002011-12-26T18:11:17.190-08:00Interview with RP Dahlke
Dead Red Cadillac
My guest is Rebecca Dahlke. I read Dead Red Cadillac and loved it, so I asked if I could interview her. She's fun!How did your ex-model heroine, Lalla Baines, get to be a crop duster? That's quite a switch. A: When Lalla got her Aero Ag certificate at 18, a local newspaper article got picked up nationally which led to attention from a modeling agent, and the rest is history. Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-16903422467445000762011-12-23T18:44:00.000-08:002011-12-23T18:44:59.314-08:00From Animals to Characters--How stories evolve
Barn Owl
I'm an animal lover, have been since day one. I find them beautiful, elegant, and loving—not necessarily toward me, but toward their offspring and groups or packs. Molly the Barn Owl and her mate, McGee, entranced me for months. I still check in from time to time for updates. Watching them, waiting for the eggs to hatch, the babies to grow and finally branch and fledge (owl-speak for Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-44541587897486497332011-12-19T18:09:00.000-08:002011-12-19T18:09:07.689-08:00Writing Short StoriesMy guest today is E.B. Davis, short story author and blogger on Writers Who Kill. I’m always amazed when writers say that it’s harder for them to write a short story than it is to write a novel. To me, a short story plot is the basis for a novel, and learning to write a short story is the basis for learning to write a novel. Sounds logical—and it is. A short story must contain only one plot. The Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-20462742105949008602011-12-17T17:09:00.000-08:002011-12-17T17:49:56.878-08:00AftermathThis is an excerpt from Cold Comfort. Riley has just heard from Claire for the first time and doesn't want to get involved in her problem.
Chapter 2
Riley hung up the phone and curled his lip in disgust. "A stalker. The woman watches too much TV. Probably a simple mugging that scared her stupid." A large, gray-striped cat opened one eye and flicked a notched ear, then returned to his nap on the Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-44464931471117793092011-12-12T18:50:00.000-08:002011-12-12T18:50:07.970-08:00Just What Is A Character To Do?Robert P. Bennett, author of the Blind Traveler mysteries, is my guest. His blind protagonist, Douglas Abledan, navigates the world through a talking GPS, but it doesn't stop him from stumbling over bodies. Fascinating books!
An eBook available for most e-readers
Who are the people writers write about? Why are they chosen as subjects? These questions are valid for both nonfiction and fiction Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-21117616965547804432011-12-09T20:07:00.000-08:002011-12-09T20:10:41.648-08:00Una Tiers Interviews EllisI'm delighted to interview Ellis Vidler about her new book, Cold Comfort. Let's start with a little background about your first two novels, Haunting Refrain and The Peeper.My grandmother had a streak of psychic ability—she knew when something was wrong with a family member, so that sort of thing always interested me. I don't know how Haunting Refrain came to me, but that's what I wanted to writeEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-61943773028456726552011-12-05T20:03:00.000-08:002011-12-05T20:03:28.253-08:00Giving It Away What a fun person Marian Allen is! I love the trailer for Force of Habit. Now I must get the book.
30-second YouTube spot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2FWEq-sxZM
When Bel Schuster swaps clothes with a native and goes off-limits on the planet Llannonn, she lands in several flavors of hot water. Alien criminals, local slavers and the planet's own particular legal code end up in a baggy-pantsEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-3562529677690690432011-12-02T19:13:00.000-08:002011-12-05T04:35:04.357-08:00Cold Comfort is officially out now!
This week is the Holiday Fair in Greenville, SC, and I'm sharing a booth with fellow authors Kathleen Delaney and Linda Lovely. We hauled in boxes of books and set up our space, then went to work at the arduous task of selling books. Linda's book is Dear Killer, a romantic suspense set on a fictitious island off the South Carolina coast. Kathleen's newest is Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-23912096731235767422011-11-27T15:55:00.000-08:002011-11-29T03:21:36.660-08:00Plain TalkMy guest this week is Michele Drier, author of SNAP and Edited to Death.
Language changes. It’s a flexible tool, adding, dropping and adapting words to reflect new ideas, new ways of doing things, naming new products. Take “google”, or “Google” or “googol”. “Googol” is a math term, a one followed by 100 zeros; “Google” is a proper noun, the name of an internet company, and “google” is now a Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-27512732134197352942011-11-26T04:59:00.000-08:002011-11-26T07:39:59.160-08:00Books like old friends
Waterhouse, The Lady of Shallott
Do you ever go back and re-read books you loved? I do. I just did.
A few days ago, on her blog, Anna Markland asked some questions about medieval romances. It set me to thinking about some of the books I read years ago. Among my favorites were three by Elizabeth Lowell, Untamed, Enchanted, and Forbidden (in order). These stories have a touch of the Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-52780030946476429282011-11-21T19:25:00.000-08:002011-11-21T19:25:31.416-08:00Inside the Mind of a Killer: Researching your AntagonistDV Berkom is my guest this week. She's the author of the terrific Kate Jones thriller novellas.
Available at Amazon
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 fact, I Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-70098849589002418012011-11-18T19:02:00.000-08:002011-11-18T19:02:04.728-08:00Ode to Black CatThis cat who's slowly making me his . . . A glossy creature, black as shadows on a moonless night. A beguiling fellow, he is by turns aloof and tender, watchful and remote, then curling at my feet.
Last night he brought his lady friend to visit. He proudly led the way to his new-found trove of food and warmth, coaxing her along. A shy thing, she hung back, afraid to enter. He murmured Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-66500130456079531342011-11-14T18:34:00.000-08:002011-11-15T06:07:48.776-08:00Blooms Are CluesThe dynamic duo that is Nash Black is my guest this week. The way Shakespeare uses clues is fascinating. Shakespeare was a master of Elizabethan English. A vital aspect of that language was the language of flowers both figuratively and symbolically. Flowers and herbs conveyed a silent message to ordinary playgoers who filled the seats of the Globe Theater.Using this basic means of show and tell, Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-1678031880347714352011-11-08T02:05:00.000-08:002011-11-08T02:10:40.044-08:00Can You Hear Me Now?
An Echelon Press book
My guest is Stephen Brayton, author of Beta, the new Mallory Petersen, PI, novel. Mallory has a fourth degree black belt in Taekwondo. She's almost up with her creator.
Maybe a more appropriate title would be “How do you hear me?” Or maybe, “Sounds like…” with the proper charades gesture. What I’d like to discuss is how to add voice or sound to your stories. How do Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-1483952686787656982011-11-05T04:03:00.000-07:002011-11-05T04:03:50.399-07:00Creating Interesting Characters
Lauren Hutton's Teeth
Characters are usually the most important part of a story. Even the best plot needs good characters. Strong, interesting characters stay with me for years, maybe always. So what can we do to help make them vivid and real?Show characterization through actions and reactions; keep descriptions visual whenever possible, but that doesn’t mean to give a driver’s license Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-62472627358728102732011-10-31T18:39:00.000-07:002011-10-31T18:40:51.147-07:00Your Embassy InvitationCome for a tour of the glittering--and gritty--world of foreign embassies with this week's guest, William S. Shepard. William is the author of the diplomatic mysteries featuring Robbie Cutler.
Buy Murder on the Danube
Last Sunday we were having luncheon with some old friends who were celebrating their wedding anniversary. At my table was their eldest grandson, just out of college with anEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-50108115928585414822011-10-28T20:18:00.000-07:002011-10-28T20:18:16.053-07:00When does it become formulaic?I've often heard the term used in a derogatory tone, and to be certain about its meaning, I looked it up. The best explanation came from ArticleWorld.org . Ah, a standard set of plots, characters, and so on. Yes, I've read many. I still dislike the word. It's in the same category as "literary." Literary is often used to imply that other styles of writing are somehow lacking in quality or Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-10269573971196831182011-10-24T17:15:00.000-07:002011-10-24T17:23:52.669-07:00Writing and Authors and Lawyers, Oh My!Una Tiers is my guest this week. Her debut novel, Judge vs. Nuts, will be released soon by Echelon Press.Una Tiers has written a story about a lawyer in Chicago, a goldfish and a dead judge. The protagonist, Fiona Gavelle, blithely plods along in her first probate case until she learns that her client may have been murdered. Her efforts set out to prove that his death was accidental. While sheEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-63223761668889720762011-10-22T09:45:00.000-07:002011-10-22T09:45:09.284-07:00Sisters in Crime 25th AnniversarySince I have no real blog for today, I'm posting pictures from the Upstate SC Chapter of Sisters in Crime. They're from our recent celebration, a panel discussion and refreshments at the Easley Library. Joyce Lavene kindly took most of the pictures for us. She and her husband, Jim, came from the Charlotte area to help us celebrate. Their 60th book will be out next month. The Lavenes have been Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-69873507705091287262011-10-18T02:39:00.000-07:002011-10-18T02:39:59.152-07:00Lisa Black, author of the Theresa MacLean mysteries, is my guest today. She's uniquely qualifed to write these books and, according to Tess Gerritsen, "She is, quite simply, one of the best storytellers around." Defensive Wounds grew out of the unique and usually frustrating relationship between cops and attorneys. Even though I’m not a cop—I’m a forensic specialist—the same factors apply. From Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-91764384101995113782011-10-14T17:15:00.000-07:002011-10-14T17:15:51.378-07:00When Characters Won't CooperateThe romance is gone—actually, it never was. What do you do when the two main characters in your romantic suspense refuse to go beyond "like"? I've tried forcing them, but the scenes are artificial and flat. Somehow they got to be friends, but the chemistry isn't there. No zing. Also, this book is too short. And I don't like the ending I had planned. I'm not sure where it all went wrong, but it Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-6321847174250361392011-10-10T18:26:00.000-07:002011-10-10T19:00:44.091-07:00Coincidence or Conflict: I had to ChooseDonnell Ann Bell is my guest today. Her debut mystery, The Past Came Hunting, has just been released in print and eBook. What a great premise!If you’ve been writing as long as I have, chances are you’ve received your share of rejections. There are myriad reasons a book is rejected: Pacing’s off, too much backstory, failure to hone one’s craft, the story doesn’t resonate with the editor or agentEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-3583705052520557492011-10-07T19:06:00.000-07:002011-10-08T13:08:17.275-07:00Berkom, Cody, Diener--Three voices, Three descriptionsThis time I've asked three very good authors to share descriptive passages: D.V. Berkom, Sandra Carey Cody, and Michelle Diener. I wanted three different styles and voices. See how they wove characters and action into their description.
D.V. Berkom
D.V. Berkom grew up in the Midwest, received her BA in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, and promptly moved to Mexico to live on Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-3626661796706195652011-10-04T02:55:00.000-07:002011-10-04T02:55:11.331-07:00Out with the Old and In with the NewI'm so pleased to have Jeff Marks as my guest this week. He's the author of a number of award-winning books as well as Intent to Sell, a book every writer should own.There comes a time about 90% of the way through a book where my mind starts to wander. Having successfully, or nearly successfully, completing another book, I start to think about what I want to do next. I find myself there with the Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-53637785203403546892011-10-01T04:58:00.000-07:002011-10-01T04:58:13.106-07:00A Brief DescriptionThis is an excerpt from Cold Comfort, my new romantic suspense, coming sometime this winter. I was trying to avoid a postcard description and tie it to what was happening in the story. Riley, the main man, is checking out Claire's shop as a favor to a friend. Claire, of course, is the heroine.
I don't know if I accomplished what I wanted, to give the flavor and picture of the shop with a little Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-23131897981118497332011-09-26T17:11:00.000-07:002011-09-26T17:14:49.797-07:00TITULUS TO LOGLINE TO PITCH in just 3 easy millenniaPatricia Deuson is my guest today. Her debut mystery, Superior Longing, is now out. It looks like a good read!
Superior Longing
When books were written on papyrus scrolls, a tag or titulus, a scrap of papyrus usually, was attached to the outside of the scroll to identify its contents. Tituli were, in effect, the title page, the contents table, and a brief summary of what the scroll was about. ItEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-43396758208506885202011-09-24T04:49:00.000-07:002011-09-24T04:49:54.811-07:00Time for promotion, or I feel faintIt's almost time for my new book to come out. November 15! (Kindly mark it on your calendar. :-) Here's the cover, its first public appearance. Echelon Press is the publisher. It's suspense with strong romantic elements, romantic suspense by some definitions. It's not pure anything. I'm working on log lines too.She wanted a rottweiller. Instead she got Riley. Or, Everything she believed was a Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-86603958612110572492011-09-20T02:12:00.000-07:002011-09-20T06:49:51.118-07:00Redemption: atonement for guilt, deliverance, salvationJ.R. Turner, author of Redemption, due out this month, and many other novels, is my guest. I'm looking forward to her new release.When I began writing my first urban fantasy novel, the title was a no-brainer. Redemption is such a powerful driving force in the human experience. From the need to prove we have what it takes to ourselves or others, to seeking out a way to atone for a perceived or Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-33161972489668620322011-09-17T05:58:00.000-07:002011-09-17T06:05:46.700-07:00Taking a Fresh Look at Descriptions
Venus!
Do you ever get stuck on descriptions and feel they're trite and predictable? I certainly do. My first draft always has too many tired adjectives. Here's one idea for finding a fresh way to describe things. Sit down somewhere and pick an object. Look at it and write down the first word or words that come to mind, no matter what they are. It could be a phrase like "Oh My God,"Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-68234446949474675892011-09-12T17:57:00.000-07:002011-09-12T17:57:30.988-07:00The Journey of 1000 Miles Begins HereJenny Milchman is my guest this week. Her debut novel will be out soon. Very exciting!
Recently I received an offer on my debut novel. It took eleven years.That seems to me a pretty big number (although since receiving the offer, a startling number of other writers have poked their heads up to say, “Took me nine years,” and, “Ten for me,” or, “Twelve,” so perhaps my figure isn’t as high as all Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-88672544039990472152011-09-10T04:28:00.000-07:002011-09-10T04:28:54.123-07:00Attribution in DialogueAttribution is the tag that goes with dialogue to show the reader who said it. You know, he said, she whispered, she mumbled, and so on. An attribution must be a word that can convey speech. Laugh and smile are not among them.Some writers go to great lengths to avoid said, a perfectly good, unobtrusive little word; however, some of its synonyms may not only be distracting but also incorrect. If aEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-83027622161005010992011-09-05T17:08:00.000-07:002011-09-06T02:58:26.158-07:00THE MUSE HELPS THOSE . . .Today my guest is Barbara Monajem, who writes historical and paranormal romance. Her words flow so easily, you'll be drawn into her stories from the first paragraph. The concept of “God helps those who help themselves” has been around since ancient Greece, and I’m convinced that it applies to that most enigmatic of deities, the Muse.A few weeks ago I was mired halfway through a manuscript, Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-11256333333719155582011-09-03T05:55:00.000-07:002011-09-03T05:55:58.032-07:00The Word That—When can you leave it out?Here’s something I've been thinking about—overuse of the word that. The American Heritage explanation is a little formal, but you’ll get the idea. That is often unnecessary and drags down the sentence. Read the sentence aloud and see if it’s needed for clarity. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. If it can be eliminated or the sentence rewritten to be stronger without it, do it. Work through a Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-44938422716077746452011-08-29T17:50:00.000-07:002011-08-29T17:50:24.033-07:00HUMOR IN MYSTERYKaye George, fellow Sister in Crime and Guppy, is today's guest. She's the author of the very funny Choke, a mystery from Mainly Murder Press, and "The Truck Contest," a short story in Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology.
I love to make people laugh. I always have. When I was young, I didn't always know what to do in a social situation. But I knew one good thing to fall back on—make them laugh.
In Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-76869155379836328382011-08-27T05:12:00.000-07:002011-08-27T05:12:08.759-07:00The Help—thought-provoking or just bad entertainment?We saw the movie The Help this week. I read the book a year or so ago and loved it. There's such a lot of controversy about it, but to me it's an important book and film. I don't see it as pure entertainment. There may be some exaggeration in a few scenes (I can't say—I wasn't there). A couple of situations seemed a little off, but overall it's outstanding. The main characters, Aibilene (Viola Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-40349289772881062422011-08-22T18:29:00.000-07:002011-08-22T18:29:04.509-07:00Community- An Aspect of Setting or Character?My guest this week is Donna White Glaser, psychotherapist/office manager/writer, not always in that order. Wearing her writing hat, she's the author of The Enemy We Know.
My series, The Letty Whittaker 12 Step Mysteries, takes place in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin—a beautiful scenic town that was chosen in 1997 by Time magazine as one of America’s top ten small towns. It’s a pretty place. There are Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-26695116355256611142011-08-19T18:59:00.000-07:002011-08-19T18:59:26.635-07:00Punctuation with Quotation MarksUh-oh. Nothing ready for this week, but since I'm working on edits for my new novel, and this is today's subject, I thought I might as well post this.
Fire has been on my mind because I just finished listening to Nora Roberts's Chasing Fire, a terrific book. The reader, Rebecca Lowman, was outstanding and added to it. The descriptions of the fire took your breath. I really, really enjoyed it.
SoEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-3096541616623325252011-08-15T18:58:00.000-07:002011-08-16T02:45:03.391-07:00End of an EraToday my guest is Warren Bull, author, editor, reviewer, and blogger (check out writers who kill)--all in all, a very talented man!My favorite mystery bookstore, I Love a Mystery, in Mission, Kansas is closing in mid August. In some ways I’m glad that I will be in New Zealand when it finally happens. In other ways I am sad not to be able to squeeze in every possible moment before the store Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-77434824790146901582011-08-12T20:06:00.000-07:002011-08-12T20:06:54.946-07:00Personalities--alpha, beta, or gamma?
Bruce Willis, Tears of the Sun
As we all know, a SEAL team took out Osama bin Laden. I believe it was also a SEAL team that shot the Somali pirates, the ones who took the ship captain prisoner. SEALs seem to be the supermen of our day—no wonder they’re featured in so many romantic suspense novels. I wonder what sort of personalities they have in real life. In books they’re always alpha malesEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-37537647749922513942011-08-08T18:52:00.000-07:002011-08-08T18:58:32.692-07:00Riding with the Harley Dogs: One Author’s AdventureMy guest today is best-selling New York Times author Angie Fox. Her latest release is The Last of the Demon Slayers.
I’d always known writing would be an adventure, but I never predicted my writing would put me on the back of a coal black Harley Davidson, with an Irish Setter in tow. I’d set out to write a paranormal about a straight-laced preschool teacher turned demon slayer who has to run off Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-66558145400084943992011-08-06T06:46:00.000-07:002011-08-06T06:46:27.360-07:00The Word "Mortified"
Lucille Ball
The use of this word puzzles me. Yesterday someone told me they were mortified when diagnosed with cancer. (The diagnosis was years ago—the person has been cancer free for many years now.) Someone else told me they were mortified at hearing a tasteless joke. Another was mortified at a near miss by an oncoming car. These examples stuck with me because they rang false in my ear. Am IEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-30978695783072097272011-07-30T04:20:00.000-07:002011-07-30T04:21:20.675-07:00THE RULE OF THREEThe rule of three for characters: each plotline should have three central characters. This allows for six relationships to be developed, plenty for a novel. Picture a triangle. The rule of three for plot development: Things usually happen in threes in a story. The first time something happens in a plot, it's an incident. The second time it happens it becomes a pattern. By the third time, the Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-82514891914044191052011-07-25T16:47:00.000-07:002011-07-25T16:47:15.394-07:00Swallowing the Criticism of Your Baby. Today my friend Maryn Sinclair, author of two exciting erotic romance novels, is my guest. Her books are Sexual Persuasion and a new one, The Escort.
The Escort
Someone criticized your book? The nerve of them. It’s like an acquaintance looking down into the carriage at your cooing infant and making a face. Doesn’t she know your baby is the most beautiful creature ever created? It’s no Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-74796181707174129672011-07-23T05:16:00.000-07:002011-07-23T05:48:56.958-07:00Similes like . . .
She danced like . . .
Similes can add richness to a story, but they should fit the context and be parallel in thought to the word or phrase they’re being compared to. And of course, they should be used in moderation. Anything, no matter how good, can be overdone.
American Heritage Dictionary: A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-18799669618452652842011-07-18T17:38:00.000-07:002011-07-18T18:05:53.538-07:00Best Bookstore Cat Ever!How do you feel about bookstore (or any store) animals? Personally, I love them and go out of my way to a shop that has a companion. Today's blog, by Lelia Taylor, is about Hamilton.Creatures ’n Crooks Bookshoppe was a genre bookstore, focusing on mystery, science fiction, fantasy and horror for all ages. We had a terrific time---not everybody gets to say they love to go to work every day---but, Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-52400154123824725402011-07-15T19:10:00.000-07:002011-07-15T19:18:41.181-07:00An Apostrophe Does not a Plural MakePlurals 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 many other grammatical Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-58032268355176407692011-07-11T18:37:00.000-07:002011-07-11T18:37:55.201-07:00The Moon and Murder
Buy Link
Camille Minichino, today's guest, has quite a varied background--physics professor, dollhouse builder, and mystery writer. It all adds up to fascinating stories.The moon? Did Ellis Vidler, my gracious hostess on my blog tour, include the moon as a potential topic?I've been following this blog for a while and I've found so many writers far more qualified than I am to give thoughts on Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-69880476095848036772011-07-08T21:31:00.000-07:002011-07-09T03:41:52.045-07:00Sentence Fragments—Tricky Little DevilsIn formal writing those unfinished bits that lack a subject and often a verb are studiously avoided. But they have a real place in fiction and informal writing. There sentence fragments can be used to great effect or they can bomb, jarring the reader right out of the story. How to use them is hard to explain, at least for me. My ear tells me when they fit, but I still can’t always say why.
Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-73934369745552090762011-07-04T13:22:00.000-07:002011-07-04T13:22:28.589-07:00Romantic Suspense, Anyone?Today my guest is romantic suspense author Chris Redding with an excerpt from her book The Drinking Game. Try it--you'll like it!
My son is an aspiring filmmaker. We often talk about directors and actors. We see movies together. It’s a love we share. It’s nice that at 16 he will still share this with me.
He gave me the inspiration for this blog post. If one of my books was made into a movie, whoEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-78211637598666292832011-07-01T16:57:00.000-07:002011-07-01T16:57:43.274-07:00Creating a Story from PicturesThis is a little exercise to jump-start your creative juices. When you need a fresh idea, try gathering a series of pictures. Look at real estate ads, websites, or movie scenes and choose a house. Or it could be a desert or a forest--anyplace that appeals to you.
Hollywood-creative commons and Charleston
Now choose a few compatible-seeming characters with similar dress and looks. I like Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-15134093484436106352011-06-27T17:42:00.000-07:002011-06-28T02:24:56.258-07:00CONFERENCES – Are they worth the time – and the money?
My guest, fellow writer, and Facebook friend Sandra Carey Cody offers some good insights and advice on conferences--worth reading! Her new book is Left at Oz , a Jenny Connors mystery.
I ask myself this from time to time, especially when I have a conference on my calendar. This summer I have two: Deadly Ink in New Jersey and Killer Nashville in Tennessee. Though I’m looking forward to both, my Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-11762030296309635332011-06-24T03:49:00.000-07:002011-06-26T17:16:18.305-07:00WASTELANDS OF THE HEARTTim Hallinan's eloquent plea for the people of Japan.
As the photos above show, there's been a lot of progress in clearing away the wreckage of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan. The problem is, when the rubble is cleared, there's nothing left.
Pretty much everything that wasn't solid concrete that was in the water's path was knocked to bits. (So were some concrete Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-41826719310817858352011-06-20T17:18:00.000-07:002011-06-20T17:18:33.071-07:00Is Writing A Team Sport?My guest today is fellow Sisters in Crime member and author Linda Lovely. Her debut novel, Dear Killer, has just come out. Good story, fun and interesting characters, wonderful setting! While many people consider writing to be a solitary pursuit, preferably performed in a secluded garret, I approach writing as a team effort.Singles tennis is an individual sport. But when tennis players join a Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-78358246630571068672011-06-18T04:10:00.000-07:002011-06-18T04:16:49.248-07:00What Makes a Scene?
A Charleston Scene
A scene is one connected and sequential action. The scene should advance the plot and develop the characters. It must have consequences. What happens as a result of this scene? How would the story be affected if the scene were left out? If the story remains the same, the scene should probably be deleted.Four questions need to be answered at the beginning of a scene:1. Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-76378077466638983922011-06-14T06:48:00.000-07:002011-06-14T06:48:31.246-07:00What is Romance?I'm pleased to have Terry Odell as my guest today. After a confusing start (thanks to me), here she is.
Thanks to Ellis for inviting me to blog. I'm delighted to be here. Since I write romantic suspense, which falls under the larger umbrella of romance, I'm always looking for inspiration for reasons my hero and heroine will be attracted to one another. And romantic moments are more important Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-51731379380998550872011-06-13T09:57:00.000-07:002011-06-14T06:21:43.127-07:00Lovely, Lazy DaysI've really messed up. I took Camille's article down and will be posting it JULY 12. This afternoon I'll get Terry Odell's posted--as originally scheduled. Those lazy days about did me in. Still getting back to normal.
I've been on vacation! I couldn't get to the Internet to post while traveling, but Friday I'll post a few photos from my trip.
Meanwhile, a little BSP (blatant self-promotion)--Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-30386825576071250282011-06-06T19:10:00.000-07:002011-06-06T19:10:20.734-07:00Sharing Your Work with an AudienceMy guest today is Sylvia Ramsey. Please go to http://theunpredictablemuse.wordpress.com/. This week Blogger won't let me post pictures, and Sylvia has some nice ones.
Thanks, Ellis
“Standing and delivering” is a powerful way to present your work. However, it is perfectly fine to read, and to develop a personal style. The most important reason for reading your excerpts from your book is that Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-25421950012142463262011-06-03T19:53:00.000-07:002011-06-04T04:08:32.492-07:00Lean and Mean--Backstory
photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Backstory is the history behind the situation that’s current at the start of the main story. Backstory is used to lend the main story depth or the appearance of reality. A backstory may include the history of characters, objects, countries, or other elements of the main story. It can be revealed in flashback, dialogue, or exposition. The main thing is to Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-55740006173789687042011-05-31T02:17:00.000-07:002011-05-31T02:17:21.388-07:00Authors Energized by the Emergence of eBooksHoward Sherman is my guest today. He describes himself as an implementor. I call him an interesting man of many talents.
Anyone even remotely connected to the book world can't help but notice that eBooks are changing everything! For some time now Amazon has been reporting that their eBook sales have overtaken the sales of published books. Stories of authors making impressive amounts of money Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-4195607391560906272011-05-27T19:00:00.000-07:002011-05-27T19:53:53.641-07:00What's the difference between foretelling and foreshadowing?
Practical Magic, Stockard Channing
Foretelling is when the author jumps ahead of the story with a “had I but known” statement or scene, though maybe not in those exact words. It's generally the prerogative of witches, discouraged as a plot device. It's a kind nana-nana-nanha (my creative spelling there), an obvious tease. Foretelling takes away the element of surprise and deprives the reader Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-21690230566018611092011-05-23T17:43:00.000-07:002011-05-24T04:58:05.791-07:00The Author’s VoiceBeth Anderson, author of Raven Talks Back and other novels, is my guest today. She has some interesting insights into one of writers' great conundrums.Voice. What do editors mean when they say something like, “This author has found her voice,” or “This author’s voice is strong”? It’s a hard thing to describe, but easy for an editor to spot.
Voice, to me, means writing with complete inner Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-45441114230725086792011-05-20T19:24:00.000-07:002011-06-01T10:55:32.941-07:00Those Tricky FlashbacksThis is a very long post today, but flashbacks are tricky. They're also controversial. Many people dislike them. My vote is for moderation (in all things). Flashbacks should be used sparingly and limited to past events that have a direct impact on the main story. Nice little scenes that show some characteristic or pleasant interlude do not make compelling flashbacks.
Imelda Staunton as Dolores Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-48705708959129834602011-05-17T01:41:00.000-07:002011-05-17T01:41:11.967-07:00Advice for Writers— and for LifeToday's guest is historical mystery author Donna Crowe. She has some excellent advice for writers. Check it out!
When doing an interview I’m almost always asked, often as a parting shot, to give one piece of advice to beginning writers.One piece? Look, I’ve been in this business thirty-some years and written as many books, which is often more years than my interviewer has had birthdays. How canEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-69184973685599716942011-05-13T16:34:00.000-07:002011-05-14T03:22:24.450-07:00Creating TransitionsCreative ways to manage the back story, reflections, and time changes
Courtesy of Photostock
Transitions are important in all kinds of writing, and they’re often overlooked. A transition, sometimes called a narrative bridge, is the information that moves the reader smoothly from one place/time/character (POV) to another. Like bridges, the longer the span, the weaker they are. Try to keep Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-67168577396022864882011-05-09T19:06:00.000-07:002011-05-09T19:22:40.712-07:00A Little CultureMy friend and guest is Kathleen Delaney, author of Murder Half-Baked, due out May 15 from Camel Press. She's also the author of the delightful Murder for Dessert from Poisoned Pen Press and two other books soon to be available on Kindle.I live in a small town in South Carolina. I didn’t move here because I thought the opportunity for concerts, art exhibits, or evenings at the ballet would be on Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-40897987885899107492011-05-07T04:48:00.000-07:002011-05-07T06:54:29.952-07:00The Plot Thickens
Moonlighting
Bruce Willis, Cybill Shepherd
Plotting is tough, at least for me. I often discard something because I don't think I can develop it into a full novel. My process is a bit foggy, possibly part of the problem. The characters come first. I know them before I start. Next I try to come up with real reasons that will keep them apart-the main conflict. Just as an example, an Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-3717830739634625912011-05-02T18:22:00.000-07:002011-05-02T18:46:17.838-07:00Share what you're readingAlas, my guest blogger couldn't make it. So instead, why don't you tell us what you're reading and send in the last couple of lines you read.
Since I'm reading several things, depending on where I am and which book I have handy, I'll pick my first three. They're quite different: historical romantic suspense, mystery, and an erotic romantic suspense. They're all good. I'd love to disappear for a Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-4221405931433332272011-04-30T05:14:00.000-07:002011-05-02T05:30:13.899-07:00Beauty in unexpected placesToday I'm using Miroslav Fišmeister's photographs. He has so many it's hard to choose. Some, such as the butterflies, are predictably beautiful if one takes the time to be still and look closely. Others, the bee and the ladybug, are charming and maybe more of a surprise. The bee's gossamer wings enchant me, and the yellow flower is a perfect setting.
Note: Click on the link top right to the Bee Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-23861731902693906932011-04-25T18:15:00.000-07:002011-04-26T09:10:48.699-07:00What's "Deep POV"?Today I'm pleased to have my good friend and critique partner, Maryn Sinclair, as my guest. Maryn writes erotic romance, stories you won't want to miss if you like sizzling romance and good plots. Sexual Persuasion is her first novel. In Loose Id’s acceptance email for my second erotic romance, The Escort, the editor-in-chief wrote: “We’d like to work to create a deeper POV and stronger Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-57077187741184454822011-04-22T14:05:00.000-07:002011-04-22T19:32:08.775-07:00The Amazing Gifts of Ice Age Artists
Courtesy of Miroslav Fišmeister
I recently came across this picture of the Lions of the Chauvet Cave in France, one of many spectacular panels of drawings, or paintings, discovered there. The paintings there are the oldest known, carbon-dated to approximately 33,000 years ago, almost twice the age of the Lascaux cave paintings. The forms and movements, the lines and grace of the animals, Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-82315940295212443262011-04-18T18:19:00.000-07:002011-05-29T04:08:40.439-07:00Dipping My Toe in Self-Publishing Author Karen McCullough is my guest today. She writes in several genres, from romance to mystery to fantasy to suspense and more. Come on in--If you don't already know Karen, you'll enjoy meeting her.About six months ago, after hearing other writers talk about it—and sometimes getting wonderful results—I decided it was time to take the plunge and dip my toe into the new world of Kindle Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-60401422162340986962011-04-16T06:04:00.000-07:002011-04-16T06:04:40.856-07:00What do you think about book reviews?
5 Stars
How do you feel about writing book reviews and rating the books? I have a hard time with them. I'd like to give 5 stars, but if I give them to every book I like, my reviews won't mean anything. Goodreads' rating descriptions appeal to me, but honestly, most books come under 3 or 4 stars that way. 1 - didn't like2 - it was okay3 - liked it4 - really liked it5 - it was Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-12084087589081836662011-04-11T19:20:00.000-07:002011-04-11T19:29:59.677-07:00How Fast is Fast Writing?My guest this week is Jerry Weinberg, author, lecturer, and raconteur. Jerry's books include a wide range of fiction and nonfiction.
A reader writes: "I am curious about how many words per hour or per day that people write. I once read that Stephen King wrote "an amazing 2,000 words a day." I am a little confused here how they count words. I have been writing short stories this year for Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-32270329144628246202011-04-09T07:05:00.000-07:002011-04-09T07:05:20.994-07:00I'm really not slacking off. I'm on a search and destroy mission, looking for was, that, and other such words in my manuscript. It's really tough trying to rewrite and still keep things sounding natural, and I often end up cutting. By the time I'm finished, the manuscript will be close to two thousand words shorter, and I hope much stronger. It's a slow process, and I want to finish it this Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-25296015226105746562011-04-04T17:17:00.000-07:002011-04-04T17:17:42.800-07:004th Book Release: Kind of Like Your Tenth BirthdayMy guest today is Peg Herring, a former English teacher with a penchant for historical mysteries. Remember when you were going to turn ten years old? You were so excited to reach double digits, and you kept telling everyone it was going to happen: in a month, in two weeks, in five days, tomorrow. Their response was somewhat tepid. Even your family members, who were really excited by your third, Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-86219288075045734772011-04-02T20:57:00.000-07:002011-04-02T20:57:00.509-07:00Lay your money down, boys!
© Alfonso D'agostino
Those pesky verbs, lay and lie. The main problem is lay because it's the present tense of one verb and the past tense of another. It goes downhill from there. The underlying problem is that we hear it misused so often our ears are no longer trustworthy. I think you just have to memorize it and retrain your ear.
lay, laid, laid - means to place or put something down, and itEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-53955513577695585642011-03-28T16:25:00.000-07:002011-03-28T16:25:05.661-07:00Writing My First Children’s Mystery NovelMy guest today is Jean Henry Mead, a mystery/suspense and western historical novelist. She's also an award-winning photojournalist. Today's she's talking about her children's mystery.
Post by Jean Henry Mead
I considered writing an autobiographical children’s book for years before sitting down to write one. Solstice Publishing released it recently as Mystery of Spider Mountain and I’m well Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-48314559911525992952011-03-25T16:35:00.000-07:002011-03-25T16:38:48.814-07:00Do you feel bad or badly?
Some more of my reference books
I think most of the confusion comes with describing how one feels. Try substituting a synonym or antonym, an –ly word for badly or an adjective for bad. If you mean condition (the adjective), an easy way to know is to substitute good for bad/badly. Here are some examples of the condition: He woke up feeling bad (good). He ate the Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-83955651951428990002011-03-21T16:24:00.000-07:002011-03-21T16:25:12.301-07:00Author Jackie Vick's Dark Secret
My guest today is Sisters in Crime member Jackie Vick, author of the novella The Grooms Cake, a romantic comedy, and two children's books. She has some humorous mysteries in the works too. Come say hello!I’m about to admit one of my darker secrets. Ready? Sometimes, I cram the laundry into the machine without going through the pockets. Don’t worry. I pay for it, though the punishment doesn’t Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-50199508741641135542011-03-18T18:05:00.000-07:002011-03-18T18:05:08.469-07:00How do you get “in the mood”?Music? A little visual stimulation? Maybe read something special? I do all of those and one big one. I’m a daydreamer. If I can find a quiet place, maybe with a warm breeze and the right scent, I drift off to a whole new world. I can work out a scene in my head much like watching a movie. But background helps, as long as it isn’t words. The right music does put me in the mood. Jeff Bridges makes Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-77789354419112356352011-03-14T18:18:00.000-07:002011-03-14T18:18:07.238-07:00What Makes a Writer a Writer?I truly don't believe writers are made; they're born that way. I was making up complex stories and imagining all kinds of internal dialogue when I was ten years old. My mother was convinced I was a compulsive liar; my father held out for future fiction writer. Which just goes to show that Mother is NOT Always Right. Or maybe that Father Knows Best. I know: groan…Writers have one Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-86106372392063783552011-03-11T19:19:00.000-08:002011-03-11T19:19:39.221-08:00Past or Passed? Titled or Entitled?Past is not, not, not a verb. It can be a noun, referring to some earlier or historical event or feature: In the past, we went visiting in a horse and buggy. Her past will be held against her in court.
Paul Newman, The Verdict
An adverb (Past as an adverb explains where): We drove past the theater. An adjective: It’s past history. In past cases, the lawyer performed admirably. The verb Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-46942854074205014592011-03-07T16:52:00.000-08:002011-03-07T16:52:39.266-08:00Childhood Clues Set the Path for a Mystery WriterStacy Juba is the author of the mystery novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink or Swim (Mainly Murder Press), as well as the patriotic children’s picture book The Flag Keeper. Her young adult paranormal thriller Dark Before Dawn will be released by Mainly Murder Press in January 2012. She is a former journalist with more than a dozen writing awards to her credit.
When I speak at schools Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-46091801454469055332011-03-04T17:51:00.000-08:002011-03-04T17:51:47.914-08:00Progressive isn’t PassiveNot all uses of the verb be indicate passive voice. There’s also progressive tense, which indicates that the action is ongoing.
Photo by Stuart Pilbrow
A progressive verb is some form of be with a present participle, the –ing version. It shows continuing action. Benny was hiding under the bed when the police arrived. This is an active sentence because the subject, Benny, was performing Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-47051007610482342692011-03-01T02:30:00.000-08:002011-03-01T02:30:02.128-08:00The Past Has Long ArmsPlease welcome my very first guest, author Donis Casey. She's giving away a book too.I’m amused at how some people seem to think that whatever is going on this minute is unique in human history. Hardly! Even our modern technology is just a detail. People never change. They are us! They just didn’t have cell phones. That’s why I write a historical mystery series. As William Faulkner said, “The Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-51035217453441182472011-02-25T19:17:00.000-08:002011-02-25T20:01:59.598-08:00A Blessing or A Curse?
We're all in this together
Ah, yes, social networking. Is it a huge time-suck or a pleasant diversion? For me it can be both. Like many writers, I started participating to get my name out there and have an Internet outlet for some promotional material. And it was a chore. Some of the forms still are for me. Twitter and I will never be compatible. But I love Facebook. (Word to the wise: InternetEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-21255116947948310422011-02-18T18:40:00.000-08:002011-02-18T18:40:45.295-08:00What's so bad about gerunds?I know gerunds are frowned upon, but I’ve never understood why. They’re useful. They change the rhythm and add variety instead of having all the sentences sound the same. Turning the corner, she spotted the dog. "As" isn't warmly received either, which is another way you could write it: As she turned the corner, she spotted the dog. Reversing it is awkward: She spotted the dog when she turned theEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-53080960266619179332011-02-11T16:32:00.000-08:002011-02-12T04:40:49.837-08:00Write Tight
Ernest Hemingway (public domain)
This 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 Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-24979050181603485652011-02-05T05:01:00.000-08:002011-02-05T05:01:57.620-08:00In the beginning . . .We all know the opening line is the most important sentence of the book, followed by the first paragraph. It must hook the reader, make him want to know more. It has to be relevant to the story, not just an intriguing opening. The opening ought to show a change, usually unwelcome, in the current situation. The hook also tells the reader the kind of story to expect and shows the style and pace of Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-25957472630890768882011-01-29T04:47:00.000-08:002011-01-29T04:47:31.332-08:00Where in the World?Setting, or milieu (don’t you love that word?), is the environment or physical time and place in which a story takes place. Exotic locales start me dreaming—my imagination goes into overdrive. I spent a few months in Mexico and always wanted to set a story there. Pat Conroy’s novels have a powerful sense of place. Appalachia is almost another character in Vicki Lane’s books, and Daniel Woodrell’sEllis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-17990459961564017152011-01-22T02:45:00.000-08:002011-01-22T04:54:47.916-08:00A Cast of Thousands
Keystone Cops
Even in a big drama with a large cast, readers need to know who they’re dealing with. They have to know someone to care about the person.
Just as too many cooks spoil the broth, too many characters spoil the story. If you have many minor characters, consider combining a few.
Viola Davis in Traveler
Realistically, you may not get stopped for speeding by the Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2932500187353859270.post-88179655973209472472011-01-14T14:11:00.000-08:002011-01-14T14:11:03.606-08:00Pleased to meet you, ma’am.When a character first makes an appearance in a story, the writer really ought to call upon good manners and introduce the character to the reader. It’s awkward when a stranger appears in a small gathering and, while everyone else seems to know her and interact easily, I’m distracted from the action, trying to figure out who she is.
If she’s going to be around a lot, I’d like a memorable Ellis Vidlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918353154644739285noreply@blogger.com7