I’ve been watching a new #Masterpiece series, #DurrellsPBS in Corfu #TV @masterpiecepbs Click To Tweet It’s the story about how a young widow and her four children pack their bags and leave England for the island of Corfu. The oldest of the Durrell children is Lawrence Durrell (Larry to his family). He is a […]
What Surprises You About Writing?
Recently I was asked by an interview, What surprised me about my writing career? #writingtips Click To Tweet He included the creative process, publishing or editing. Admittedly nothing in the publishing or editing process particularly surprised me. I realized going into this field that getting published would be a challenge and would require all my […]
Tips from Famous Writers
Recently I watched a video with tips from famous writers. It was all about the joy and heartache of writing. Stephen King, JK Rowling, Maeve Binchy, Anne Rice and more talk about their writing experiences. Most agree that writing is not something that is mechanized #writingtip Click To Tweet As one writer put it, get on […]
I’ve Been Accused of Reading Like a Writer–Examples of Lazy Writing
Recently someone asked me the reason I disliked Gone Girl #amwriting Click To Tweet When I said I didn’t find the story believable nor the characters likable, they said, I read like a writer. Perhaps I do. As a writer, I know when the author cheats #amwriting Click To Tweet I notice little slip ups […]
My Interview with David Alan Binder–Full of Writing Tips
Joan Curtis interview with David Alan Binder Joan’s Bio from her website (shortened): Joan is an award-winning writer who has published 7 books and numerous stories. In her mystery/suspense novel, The Clock Strikes Midnight, we meet Janie Knox, a tormented young woman who escaped her home and family after a jury convicted her stepfather of killing […]
Guest Post: Murder Within An Extended Family
What a treat we have in store for you today! Heather Haven is the queen of mystery and comedy @HeatherHaven Click To Tweet Her delightful personality shines through in her many award-winning books. I consider her an inspiration. She agreed to visit us today and talk a bit about the extended family featured in her […]
He Said–She Said: Tips for Tagging
New writers make the mistake of tagging dialogue whenever a person speaks #writingtips Click To Tweet They believe the reader must be told who is speaking at all times. When I first began writing fiction, I made the same errors. I committed a number of the mistakes I’m going to list below. Now, I’m a […]
What is the Bane of Your Writing Existence?
Okay so all writers say they love writing. None will tell you the things that cause them headaches #amwriting Click To Tweet The things that make them want to pull their hair out and wish for another career. Instead, they’ll say what fun it is to create worlds and people and stories. And, yes, that’s […]
4 Common Mistakes in Punctuation
Part of writing is understanding punctuation. We all know what a period means, but do we understand the meaning of commas, semicolons, ellipses, dashes? As writers, we use punctuation to help us “express” what is on the written page. For that punctuation to work, we must all understand it. Most publishers use a traditional convention […]
Rainy Days and Sundays–Learning the Discipline of Writing
On beautiful crisp days when the sun is shining, it’s often hard to pull out the computer and plug away at that masterpiece. Our friends are going out biking or hiking up a magnificent mountain. Rainy days are a much better alternative. But, if you only write when it rains, it’s going to take you […]
