When Characters Become Real
It has been a tough week, and I am tired and a bit maudlin. I am thinking of Maggie, my main character in Members of the Cast. I made her…
Circle Life
We all are busy, so I will limit my remarks to extra annoying interferences keeping me from writing. Goal: Complete The Ship from Wolfskill this fall. Writing Event: A beta-reader…
Cleanup
A Short Story that will Need Hours of Cleanup Prolog Man Selling Us Graestone: The basement doesn’t leak. George, for ten years: The basement doesn’t leak! Gutters The gutters around…
Book Roots
Where did I get the idea for Members of the Cast? I think it started with the house. Before we were married, Ruth and I drove to Pasadena to look…
Twisted Plot
This article is not about plot twists. It is about a twisted plot, or perhaps a plot that needs a little twisting to make it right. I am a big…
Evaluation
Seven months and ten days after Members of the Cast was published, it may be time for evaluation. So, I give you some statistics: I sell a book every 1.2…
172 Impressions and No Clicks
Self-publishing makes you a writer, speaker, and publicist if you want readers. In an earlier blog article, I discussed Kindle Ads for books. Today we delve into Kindle Lockscreen Ads.…
Beta Reading
I love my beta readers and critique partners, but I am a plodder. I make glacial movement through books. I am far behind in my work. I excuse this by…
Book Talks 2
Do public book talks help sales? Members of the Cast has been out six months. To be honest, sales started with a bang and have tapered off in the months…
Writing Romance
If you clicked on this blog to find a discussion about love and sex, you will be disappointed. Today, I am thinking about writer vs. manuscript, author vs. book. Do…
Radio in the Night
I am not a poet, but in early October “the fall feeling” comes, and I know it is time to write poems. You can find a few here: Poems. I…
Fair’s Fair
In Gore Vidal's Lincoln, General Grant is about to receive Lee's surrender. Lincoln says, "Let him up easy, General. Let him up easy." Sometimes I wonder whatever happened to women…
Autographs
This chatty blog is not going to settle any deep problems associated with writing. I spent hours writing Members of the Cast. Days. Months. Years. There is nothing unusual about…
Buckeye Girl
In the canyon, one dayWhen I was young I suppose Father had gone to workI found Mom in bed with sheetsOf typing—sheets and sheets of typing She had To Kill…
Fires
In July 1960, the summer after Margo (Members of the Cast) first saw San Dimas Canyon, it burned. I took a chaise lounge down to the flat and fell asleep.…