James R. Tuck
read all posts by James R. TuckHey hey folks. Hope you are doing well.
After my last post here I want to give what may seem to be a counterpoint piece of advice. Last time I waxed philosophical about metaphor and the long strung description that give lyrical beauty to your writing.
All of that holds true.
Today, however, I want to talk about writing concisely.
We writer folks love our words. We think in words and when we write (especially first drift) we tend to go overboard, stuffing our sentences with every cool little adverb and adjective we can find. Oftentimes we are writing to make everything as clear to the reader as we can, really wanting them to be able to see the room we are describing. Our characters walk into a bar and we want to tell the reader how big the bar is, what kind of decorations there are on the [...]
Continue reading GET TO THE POINT (or the joy of writing succinctly)
James R. Tuck
read all posts by James R. TuckToday I will be in a car heading to the Olde City New Blood convention in St. Augustine, Fl so I apologize in advance that I will not be getting back here to any comments until later in the day, possibly in the late evening.
That being said, let’s get into the heart of today’s musing.
I’ve been a descriptive writer from the get. I will tell you exactly what a thing looks like and every moment of its existence as it relates to my story. I’ve always prided myself on it and I work to improve what is already one of my best abilities. I seek out new words, looking to boldly go where no writer has gone before.
I use words like eldritch, corpulent, and etheric. I pair words with things and actions that create a jarring feel to them like oilsheen crackle and I use: “A musty, [...]
Continue reading THE METAPHOR OF THE THING (or, getting my Cormac McCarthy on)
 A J Hartley
read all posts by A J HartleyFirst, thanks to Faith and Misty for switching their schedules with me so I can post on release day!
Today, the second in my middle grades series, Darwen Arkwright and the Insidious Bleck, hits shelves, and I thought I’d tell you something about the high wire act which is writing the second book of a series.
The original cover Darwen II art as it appeared on the ARC
To be clear, this is a second stand alone story in the Darwen universe. There are larger plot lines being developed from book to book, but each volume is its own story with a beginning, middle and end. They are probably richest read in order, but they don’t have to be.
Book 1, Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact, introduced the core characters (Darwen, Rich and Alex) and established their world (Hillside Academy in Atlanta) and the key issue: there are [...]
Continue reading Release Day for Darwen II!
 Misty Massey
read all posts by Misty MasseyFolks, sorry about the unusual lineup this week. Faith’s had an unavoidable complication, so we traded our days around. Hopefully we’ll all be back to normal soon.
It’s Halloween! When I was a kid, Halloween was on a par with Christmas in my estimation. One night a year, I was able to dress up as anything I wanted to be, leave the house after dark and demand candy from complete strangers…who HAD to cough it up! I remember my mother would help me create my costume (this was long before store-bought costumes – yes, I’m that old.) Sometimes I was a princess, sometimes a gypsy, and once I think I was a cat. It was always chilly, so Mama would insist I wear a sweater over my costume, despite my impassioned protests that princesses did not wear sweaters. My daddy would drive me and my best friend to a neighborhood [...]
Continue reading Happy Halloween!
A J Hartley
read all posts by A J HartleyWell, kind of.
The Dragon bit is that I’m at Dragon*Con today and thus won’t be as available as I usually try to be to respond to comments: readings to do, people to see, beers to drink. The double release bit—and I apologize but I’m going to hawk these today like a guy with a case of fake Rollexes—is that I actually have two books out this week!
Well, again, kind of.
The first, which actually came out yesterday is the paperback edition of my first middle grades adventure series, Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact (Penguin/Razorbill), which can now be yours for the measly sum of nine (count ‘em) bucks. The official target age range is 9-14, but I’ve had good feedback from readers who were a little younger than that and a lot from readers who were considerably older. You know who you are, and yes, your support [...]
Continue reading Double Dragon Release!
 DavidBCoe
read all posts by DavidBCoeIn December of 1993, Buena Vista Productions released the movie Tombstone, starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer. The film told the story of the life and times of the legendary Western lawman, Wyatt Earp. In June 1994, Warner Brothers released Wyatt Earp, starring Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid. The film told the story of the life and times of the legendary Western lawman, Wyatt Earp.
In May 1998, Universal Studios released Deep Impact, starring Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, and a small, hairy-footed actor named Elijah Wood. It was a science fiction film in which people on earth discover that an enormous comet is on a collision course with our planet, threatening all of life as we know it. In July 1998, Touchstone Pictures released Armageddon, starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Liv Tyler (minus the pointy ears she wore when saving the life of the previously mentioned small, hairy-footed [...]
Continue reading On Creativity and Writing: Making the Most of Ideas, part III — The Fear of Being Scooped
Misty Massey
read all posts by Misty MasseyI work in a public library, which is where I get to hear all kinds of wacky nonsense from people who think they’re being brilliant or worldly or simply well-read. Most of it makes me giggle but occasionally I become so irritated I have to duck into the back office to regain my composure. After all, calling people names and throwing books at them is never the right choice, no matter how much it might feel like it. Not that you, dear readers, would EVER say anything so nutty. Maybe you know how to talk to librarians-who-are-also-writers, but you have a buddy who just hadn’t gotten the hang of it yet. Either way, I’m here to help.
5) “I never start reading a series until all the books have been written.”
This is guaranteed to make the writer-librarian roll her eyes and want to leave for an early three-drink lunch. [...]
Continue reading Five Things You Shouldn’t Say To The Librarian Who Is Also A Writer
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How To Write Magical Words
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