Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Over the next few editions of Let’s Have Fun Writing, we are going to discuss life sentences. More to the point, putting life in our sentences- giving them punch, vigor, and importance. All throughout this series, we have talked about words—, , object, subject, etc— and the importance of...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» In the past few weeks, we have discussed the Hemen class words, and – Now it’s time for the wimpy class… Editor’s stab them. Good writers rip them out like they were malignant tumors. And why not? Adverbs dirty up prose and other writing, just by being slutty. We...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Lists of particulars. We writers love ‘em, and we use ‘em every chance we get. Inventories can add a ton of images, atmosphere, and/or flow to any writing we do. Last time out; in the article about , I used an example for powerful nouns, from a Philip K....
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» We have discussed some fairly stout tools in the last few weeks; and being two of them. This week, we are going to look at the strongest tool in our writing arsenal- the noun. Okay boys and girls; who can tell me what a noun is? Buzz! That’s right;...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Do you have the burning desire to write? Do you think you’re your story is worth telling? Of course you do; and so do she, and him, and her over there- look around you, because we ALL desire to write. The flaming lust to be inkslingers is stamped on...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Last week we talked about the and the fact that writers use words as colors for their paintings. Our colors define the image we project, and we choose those colors with care so that our vision is clearly broadcast. We are continuing the discussion of colors this week as...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» In the past few weeks we have traipsed on the playground of our writing, learning to use gizmos to spark images from our words. One such gimmick we talked about was , or using unusual verbs to make the subjects/objects pop to life. Another was the use of over...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Last time out we discussed the and I promised we would cover the topic of jolting our verbs to life and that we will. So, without any further delay, let’s charge into it! If you recall the post , we chatted a bit about the three, tequila swillin’, drinking...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Before we dive into the colossal arena of megaphors an miniphors, as promised in last week’s post, , I want to congratulate those who have been following from the beginning. Way back at the first post, we discussed the habit of writing practice along with the benefits of the...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» I know that all of you who have been following along since, are now well beyond the painful cramping lobster claws and are grabbing time stingily every day to write. Kudos! You are well on your way to a fruitful habit. We dove into the definition of last week...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Last week, we opened the Let’s Have Fun Writing series by talking about and how that habit will help writer’s find their heart and use it when the pen anything. I hope some of you are swearing like sailors at me. I hope your hands are all cramped up,...
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Series Lets Have Fun Writing» Far be it from me to stake any claim to being a writer with enough talent and skill to sit on a high throne and give sound writing tips, yet I believe that this site needs a weekly ‘Writing Tips’ column, so I am going to take up the...
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Every author who has ever written a how to book on writing has hammered home the point that the best way to learn to write is to read what other authors are writing, and that is where we're headed today in the series, Learn To Write.
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There are murals on the flood walls that protect Portsmouth Ohio from the occasional fits of anger that the mighty Ohio River hurls at the city. Murals that depict the city in various stages of its past.
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I struggled with creating fictional characters in that they all seemed two dimensional at best. For the most part, my characters seemed flat or like paper dolls. I made a discovery recently that seems to help me create and develop characters that are more alive and meaningful. I quit creating them with names and...
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