Writing is a solitary activity, yet writers need connections with others for critiques, advice, business networking, and socializing through writing organizations. Writing organizations are one resource in the author’s toolkit. Memberships and participation–involvement beyond paying the membership fee–require time, energy and financial commitment. The benefits to be gained from each…
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Writing Contest Success
The advice for fantasy writers twenty-five years ago was to build a reputation by publishing short stories in the numerous magazines focused on speculative fiction. Entering writing contests served as an additional avenue to generate exposure. Once the author had established some credentials with short fiction, the door to publishing…
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A Writer’s Journal
The college professor listed the grading criteria for the creative writing class. He spent much of the time describing his expectations of a writer’s journal we were to keep for the entire semester. We had to purchase a composition notebook and number each page, except for the first page, which…
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Writer’s Whimsy A to Z
Adjectives provide details, just don’t overuse. Books are powered by a strong, creative muse. Commas, colons, clauses—oh my! Dangling participles don’t try. Ellipsis is shown by dots of three. First person calls for I and me. Gerund is a verb with an “ing” end. Hero or protagonist is my friend.…
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Storyteller
“He loved people and enjoyed telling and listening to life stories.” Those words from my Dad’s obituary summarize so much about him. You knew when Al entered the room because he was six feet tall and had an infectious laugh. More importantly, he always had a story to share. My…