Tag: Writing & Editing
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: Reunion: A Fragrant Journey Through Time
What is your protagonist’s main trigger (a plot device which causes flashbacks, insightful internal dialogue, etc.)? Is it a certain smell, certain song? When I wrote the first draft of Reunion: A Story in the fall of 1998, I didn’t have any “how to write fiction” books nor a textbook from my creative writing course…
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Writing Wisdom from a Jedi: Mastering Your Novel with a Clear Mind and Steady Hand
Early Afternoon, Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Miami, Florida Random Thoughts About Writing
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Foggy Fridays and Novel Triumphs: A New Year’s Blogging Adventure
Late Morning, Friday, January 3, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi, everyone. First, I’m a bit surprised that it’s Friday already. Oh, I knew intellectually that the weekend was imminent because I always date my blog posts when I write them, but “knowing” something is different from “perceiving” it. Since New Year fell on Wednesday (and New…
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The Journey of a Storyteller: Embracing Challenges in Writing
Midday/Early Afternoon, Friday, November 22, 2024, Miami, Florida “Write without pay until somebody offers to pay.” ― Mark Twain I am, first and foremost, a storyteller. Crafting and sharing a good tale – whether presented as a blog post, a short story, a novella, a poem, a screenplay, or (since I’ve been working on one…
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On Writing and Storytelling: I Unconsciously Followed a Writing Prompt!
The author shares frustrations over writer’s block, then unexpectedly recalls a fitting scene. At Vintage Mornings, Cameron and Jerry banter over vintage pin-ups, assisting the author in finding a breakfast tray. The exchange prompts Jerry to inquire about the author’s mysterious lady friend, leading to a surprising revelation about her career.
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Narrative Depth and Tension in Reunion: Coda Scenes
Decoding ‘Reunion: Coda’: An In-Depth Look at Two Scenes from My Upcoming Novel As a first-time novelist, I use various tools including my two computers, how-to books on different aspects of storytelling, music to inspire me, and my experience as a journalism student, reviewer, and screenwriter to assist me in writing Reunion: Coda, the second…
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Conjuring Ideas, Part Two: From Rough Draft to Finished Scene…Reunion: Coda Inches Forward
Late Afternoon/Early Evening, Thursday, August 1, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire “Raging fires grow from the tiniest spark; it is the same principle at work in life. As long as there’s a spark, tend to your fire. Never give up. ”― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of…
A Certain Point of View, Too 