The race began Albino manes thrust back In the surge to arrive first. Closer and closer, Leaping, tossing aside fear The waves crash against the wintry shore. Ocean Shores, Washington in the winter has marvelous waves that resemble stampeding horses. The skies are often overcast creating a gray-white light that accentuates the fury in the shallows. Put on your heavy coat, your boots and a scarf to protect yourself from the bitter cold and brace yourself against the winds. Walk the solitary sandy beaches as long as you dare. Listen to the thunder that surrounds you as wave after...
Week 3 of 8 weeks begins. Note-taking ends. Research begins. Always a challenge. I decided to ignore my previous charting of When the Music Stops and guess what? My new charting was close to identical so I must be on the right path in my mind’s eye. Such a funny statement, a mind’s eye. It’s that consistent place where ideas spring forth and stick to the sides of my memory and wait for me the rediscover them. Research. Most of my research was done when I wrote 84 Ribbons so I got an 85% slide-through on that work. Just...
Karen Wiesner wrote First Draft in 30 Days and has these suggestions for the dedicated, determined writer. So, here we are in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). For non-writers, that means kissing your writing friends good-by for 30 days! If you follow Karen Wiesner’s plan, you may need to pick them up off the floor and apply chocolate! (She must have amazing stamina!) After you brainstorm your idea, you begin your month-long draft with these tasks: Day 1– Character sketches, Day 2– Research/Setting, Day 3– Plot Sketches, Days 4/5– Summary Outline, Day 6– Scene notes, Days 7-13– Research, Days 14-15–...
A recent critique of my pages ranged from hilarious laughter to dead serious flaws. The laughter was easier to take, the flaws hit me to my core, knocking my breath free during their swift pats of bringing me back to the real world. But, because the critiquers sincerely believe in me and my worth as a writer, I can handle both and will learn from their suggestions. (That deep down hope that one day I’ll get a chapter near perfect and that my critique group will shake their heads in admiration isn’t dead yet, but it does experience monthly setbacks.) ...
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