The last of the Baby Boomers and the first of the Gen Xers will be the last generation to remember the world before the internet, or so I heard at a lecture by Scott Thomas Anderson at CWC Tri-Valley Writers September meeting. That’s a bit of a shock, but there’s a bigger demarcation line in …
The Last Generation to Remember the World Before Photocopiers by Lani Longshore Read More »
The most recent natural disaster, Hurricane Harvey, reminded me to review my earthquake preparedness file. It contains lists of what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Most important, there are lists of things to keep packed and ready. I suggest that a writer needs to add a notebook and supply of pens to …
Every time one of my writing buddies gets a nibble from an agent, I wonder if I shouldn’t trust the universe to provide and send out another round of queries myself. I’m happy enough self-publishing. No, my sales aren’t good, but the chances of them being better with a traditional publisher aren’t guaranteed, and at …
There are days when I can write stories, and there are days when I can write titles. Alas, the titles don’t always match the stories. Still, writing is writing, so I keep a file of all the titles that manage to stick to a memory cell long enough for me to record them. Whether I’ll …
There are times when the universe whacks you over the head and shouts, “Pay attention!” The universe is speaking to me about my writing practice, and what I need to include. Tri-Valley Writers started a field trip series to get us out of our writing dens and into the fresh air. The first outing was …
I talked with a friend the other day who told me about tracking down the truth of some old family stories. Her grandmother, it appears, may have been a waitress in a Southern restaurant frequented by mobsters on the run in the 1930s. The family had sent her to a private school, but then the …
I’m reading The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck, who decided to outfit a covered wagon and revisit what is left of the Oregon Trail. He spends a couple of chapters talking about wagons. The Conestoga Wagon may be what most people remember from history class, but that wasn’t the wagon that went west. The Conestoga …
Now that the weather is better, I find myself away from the computer more often. The writing projects lined up on my desk are gathering dust, metaphorically and literally. I wasn’t quite at the point of despair because the weather is beautiful, but the nagging voice in my head was getting louder. Then, on a …
Stairway to Story: A writing prompt by Lani Longshore Read More »
Most writers have heard these words but then shrug them off. The hard part may be finding the right niche. Once found, you can earn an income. Before you get too excited, at the start you probably will want to hold on to that day job. With your first assignment, however, you’ll have the satisfaction …
Submit your writing for publication and get paid! by Paula Chinick Read More »
Over the years, I’ve read lots of books and articles about creating memorable characters. Early on, the advice focused on visualizing your character and considering how gender, height, weight, coloring, and recognizable facial markings could have affected that character’s life. Later, it became fashionable to think of fashion. What did it mean that your character …
Creating memorable characters with a go-to excuse by Lani Longshore Read More »
