writing

Elevator Pitch, Part 3 of ?????

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Okay, I haven’t posted in awhile. Everything caught up with me (see this post) and something had to give. I could only skip so much sleep, so the blog posts were next. I think it’s time to take another stab at the elevator pitch. This time, instead of tweaking what the pitch(es) I already produced, … Read more

Time Crunch

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The time crunch is upon me. On 1/19, I lost my laptop; one of its two fans refuses to spin, and the other spins on high. The laptop generates a huge amount of heat. In short, it’s unusable. So, by the end of next week, I have to complete the following: ·         Set up a … Read more

This Blog’s Header

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The photo atop the blog (and below, in case I change the blog’s photo) was taken by me. Its purpose is to promote the novel (Shifting Mars’ Sands) that I’m currently reviewing with a writers’ group. With any luck, in the spring, I’ll start a quest to find an agent. It shows the first page … Read more

Two Birds with One Stone, Part 2

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… or when I read “Two Birds with One Stone” at the writers’ group. In this earlier blog post, I posted my story, Two Birds with One Stone, that wrote for a writers’ prompt for the Round Hill Writers’ Group.  If you haven’t read it, please read it now; you’ll understand the rest of this … Read more

Two Birds With One Stone, Part 1

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I wrote the following short story for the Round Hill Writers’ Group in December, 2011.  It was in response to a writing prompt to tell a story based on an idiom.  At the group, everyone reads his or her story aloud, so I like to keep mine short, 1000 words or less.  I also try … Read more

Plugging a Story Hole

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I’ve been busy for the past month (give or take) on three chapters in Shifting Mars’ Sands.  These chapters are tightly coupled; if you think of them as a balloon and you squeeze in one spot, a bulge will appear in another. The issue is that I moved a major argument between two protagonists (Frank … Read more

Elevator Pitch, Part 2 of ?????

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Okay, it’s time that I take a crack at an elevator pitch for my novel, Shifting Mars’ Sands.  In an earlier post, I explained the purpose of an elevator pitch and highlighted the major points of my novel.  There are two additional points that I have to keep in mind.  First, I can’t oversell the … Read more

The Elevator Pitch, Part 1 of ????

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Lately, I’ve been thinking about an elevator pitch for my novel, Shifting Mars’ Sands.  For those reading unfamiliar with the term “elevator pitch,” it is a compelling summary of your novel that you can give in the span of an elevator ride.  Compelling is the key word.  The idea is to pitch your story to … Read more

My First Writers’ Conference

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It’s been awhile since I blogged.  A lot has been going on, mostly boring stuff.  The biggest event was that we finally outsourced our policy printing after a year’s effort.  I felt like I’ve been juggling alligators the entire time.  I didn’t know much about this side of our business, didn’t know much about the … Read more

Writers’ Groups and Caretaker Scene

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Originally, I was uncertain about the value of working with a critique group, but I have to say that it has been an invaluable experience overall.  To get the most out of the experience, I found that I had to sift through critiques that weren’t story centered like plot notes that, frankly, were complaints that … Read more