The book is up to 35k. It's a stat that's easy to see when working in MS Word, it's right there at the bottom of the page. But I'm writing this book in Scrivener where you have to select an option and wait for a few seconds while it gets you the total. I don't … Continue reading Week Twelve: Tools of the Trade
Writing while stressed-out is a real drag.
As a reader of romance, both contemporary and historical, I am completely okay with the use of tropes. What's a trope? It's a commonly used literary theme or motif like 'city girl moves to the country and falls for its native son.' As Ecclesiastes says "There is no new thing under the sun." You could … Continue reading The Trouble With Tropes
Backstories, we've all got them. When writing a novel I give a backstory to all my characters, even the secondary ones, even if the information never makes it to the page. I want them to feel like real people, and real people interact with others, based in part, on their past experiences. If those experiences … Continue reading The Pain of Having a Real Life Backstory
After battling a nasty virus I am back at the keyboard working on book three. Over the last few days, I’ve been able to have a range of folks read the early, un-edited chapters. I noticed that about half the people were tripping up on the same, small detail. I gave Annie, the female MC, … Continue reading The Joy and the Terror of Feedback
I realize in writing this that it will be a drop in the crashing wave of other first of the year blogs and may not make it's point as well for the deluge, but I'm doing it anyway. I rarely make New Year's resolutions, but I do establish goals and I think over the ones … Continue reading Forgiving 2017
November was rough. Actually, it's been a rough Autumn. I utterly failed to do NaNoWriMo, I didn't meet my exercise goals, and I didn't get a job I really wanted. There's no point into relating the trash-fire that is our political system here in the States so let's just move along. I'm not sorry to … Continue reading Snowflakes Welcome Here
As some of you folks may know, I am on a sabbatical for the summer and working on several projects. The first is my health since sitting at a desk for the last two decades has left me in dire need of exercise. The second is our house. We’ve decided to put in a new … Continue reading Time Wanted & Wasted: A Writer’s Lament
Looking for writing advice? The internet has a ton waiting for you. You'll find the good, the bad, and the downright odd a Google search away. My favorite odd advice? Edgar Alan Poe suggested that a writer better the story this way - "Include a beautiful woman with raven locks and porcelain skin, preferably quite young, … Continue reading Writing Advice: The Good Stuff
Last night was my very first book signing/book talk. Other than me speaking far too fast, forgetting to take out my gum, and accidentally wearing my sneakers instead of the pair of strappy sandals I had picked out, it went well. One of the things I had talked about was how I often cut scenes … Continue reading Here’s A Little Something For You
Christa MacDonald 