When describing a delicious meal or something super tasty, we often say “it was good to the last bite.” It’s a complimentary statement that insinuates satisfaction, delight, and a feeling of fullness. Perhaps, we offer those words graciously to our hostess after a hearty home-cooked meal of our favorite comfort foods. (And everyone knows that there’s nothing as tantalizing as …
Setting the Stage for the Perfect Novel
I’ve always been an avid reader. For writers, it’s a must. Reading keeps our minds active. It takes us to new worlds and allows us to live vicariously through our favorite characters. It also keeps us abreast of the changing markets, the current trends, and what’s working and what’s not. We read others’ “voices” while discovering our own. We hone …
Jumping in Without a Lifejacket
I recently chatted with someone who was very discouraged about the direction her writing seemed to be taking. After writing for 25+ years, “The process,” she said, “has begun to take its toll.” We talked at length about the path to publication and I asked her what her current goals were. “Well, they’re the same as they’ve always been. I want to …
Bells, Whistles, and Other Baubles
In secular fiction there seems to be a lot of the “sensationalism” factor. Whatever will grab readers’ attention, implement it. If it’s shocking, say it. Off-color? Write it. A little violence? Add it. Owning one’s actions? Well, heaven forbid! The accountability component just doesn’t seem to be there sometimes. In some of the stories I’ve read, it may take reading the entire book before a …
Gobbling Up the Eye Candy
In today’s world we’re very visually motivated. Because of savvy marketing gimmicks, we often make decisions based on eye appeal rather than performance. Bells and whistles and cross-the-heart promises sell us everything from dressed-up paperweights to lighter-than-air feather dusters–and usually, all for a mere $19.95. From cleaning supplies, food, clothing, make-up, and countless everyday products to the more costly things such …
Bookworms and Brain Surgeons
As a teen-ager, the town I lived in was very small. There were a handful of gas stations and convenience stores, two or three smallish supermarkets, a consolidated school, one caution light midway through town, and an old white house that had been converted into the town library. Our home was about four or five blocks from the library, and …
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