Tag: Writing as a Craft
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: Chapter 25 Sparks to Life in ‘Reunion: Coda’—Penning the Climax with Precision
Late Morning, Thursday, February 13, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. Guess what? Yesterday, I penned the first scene for the 25th chapter of Reunion: Coda. It’s not a marathon scene—just 531 words, a bit more than those college essays from back in the day. You know, the ones I cranked out 40 years ago. But…
-
Crafting Captivating Scenes: The Power of Detailed Outlines
Mid-Morning, Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Miami, Florida “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.”― Bob Dylan It is just past 7 AM on this Wednesday in South Florida. I sit at my desk, still…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: Copyrights and Writer’s Block: My Saturday Saga
Early Afternoon, Sunday, February 9, 2025, Miami, Florida “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”– Sue Monk Kidd My Not-So-Restful Saturday Although I began yesterday as one of my two days off from work, I found myself preoccupied with thinking…
-
Officially Copyrighted: My Novella’s Journey to the Library of Congress
Mid-Morning, Sunday, February 9, 2025, Miami, Florida Well, folks. It’s official. My novella, Reunion: A Story is copyrighted. I’m excited to share that I received my Certificate of Copyright from the Library of Congress’s Copyright Office yesterday afternoon! It’s hard to believe it’s only been a little over a month since I applied to register…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: Discussing the End of Chapter 24 of Reunion: Coda in the Chill of a Miami Morning
Mid-Morning, Thursday, February 6, 2025, Miami, Florida “After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” ― Philip Pullman It’s a bit past 6:30 on a chilly – by Florida standards, at any rate – morning here in Miami. It’s still dark outside, and the temperature is a “brisk” 69°F…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: Mastering the Craft: Progress Update on Writing ‘Reunion: Coda’ Chapter 24
Late Morning, Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Miami, Florida “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy,…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: When Best-Laid Plans Go Astray on Laundry Day
—
by
Late Morning, Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Miami, Florida Yesterday was not a productive day for writing my novel. Despite my best intentions and heartfelt desire to write – or at least outline – the fourth scene of Reunion: Coda’s 24th chapter, I experienced a mind-numbing writer’s block. One reason for my struggle was that it…
-
The Writer’s Grind: Triumphs and Trials of Crafting ‘Reunion: Coda’
Early Afternoon, February 1, 2025, Miami, Florida Yesterday marked the end of my regular workweek as a first-time novelist. Despite my high hopes and good intentions, it was less productive than anticipated, especially concerning Reunion: Coda. My morning began with writing my daily blog post, followed by a refreshing midday break. Determined to make headway,…
-
Writer’s Shop Talk: When Creativity Takes a Break – The Power of Revisions
Late Morning, Friday, January 31, 2025, Miami, Florida As a writer, producing my best work is both my passion and my process. I often take my sweet time with writing, whether it’s a blog post like this one or diving into my current project, Reunion: Coda. My quirky method involves editing as I go, rather…
-
A Day in the Life of a Writer: Battling Writer’s Block
Midday, Wednesday, January 29, 2025, Miami, Florida “Writer’s block is akin to a “vacancy” sign; if you wait long enough they will eventually fill.” ― Nanette L. Avery Well, Constant Reader, it happened again. Instead of mapping out—much less writing—a new scene for Reunion: Coda’s 24th chapter (I include the novel’s prologue as a chapter),…
A Certain Point of View, Too 