Adventures in Outlining!
I’m a total plotter. In the end, I might stray from my bulleted plot outline. New characters pop up like gophers from their little hidey holes in the ground. But I like knowing where I’m going. And what I’ve been using most lately is Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet. It’s a ton of fun, and great … Read more
How to Give Good Critique
A friend and critique partner of mine (and she knows who she is, so this isn’t a series of hints for other crit partners!) gave me some feedback on my story a few months ago. I was quiet for a bit, because while she had some great ideas for my story, some of them came … Read more
Attack of the Radioactive Dog
Despite the fact that I feel bad about making fun of a radioactive dog disposal site and the poor beasts therein, the “comic” really isn’t all that funny. It’s disappointing, and that disappointment has to do with something I’ve learned about writing lately: you take a character you like, get her in lots of trouble, … Read more
The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz
There are a few excellent books I’ve read recently, but I have to write about this one immediately. It was just that good. Set-Up: Allie, the “Vinyl Princess” as she dubs herself for her blog, works at Bob & Bob Records, a place that her mom says smells “like an octogenarian’s attic” (p. 10), but … Read more
