Writers Together Flourish!

Writing can be an exciting pastime but a daunting career. There is the constant struggle to mold characters, enhance plot, and deal with concerns like theme, pacing, and arcs. Does it all flow together? Have you read it so often it's just an incomprehensible mishmash?

You don't have to do it alone. Find a critique group--other writers who understand the process and are willing to read and analyze your work.

You can find groups online or in person. Many writing communities offer opportunities for authors to get together. For instance, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America 

have subgroups that offer critique opportunities. Or you can search the internet.

If you want to meet in person, Google "writing critique groups" in your area or go to Meetup.

I started with an online group who's members were patient, kind and nurturing. When that group disbanded, I thought I knew everything about writing and entered an online auction, paying for an agent’s critique. I fully expected to become her client. I’m forever grateful. She kindly disabused me of my fantasy. Her critiques included backstory, head-hopping, no plot catalyst, and no stakes! I looked for another group. 

Using Meetup I met four diverse writers who became good friends.  Together, we improved my writing, and I published a short story.

When I moved to Florida, I used the Net to find a phenomenal new group, whose in-depth critiques helped me refine my technique and get a better grasp of my work. 

Constructing a story is an art. Thanks to my peers, I've learned to weave the strands together using economy of words, active voice, and tension.

Even though writing is a solitary profession, we don't have to isolate ourselves. Sharing ideas with a trusted cadre will not only enhance your skills, but present you with important new friends.

If you don’t have a writing group now, I recommend you find one soon.

Remember, Keep Writing!

REJUVENATE YOUR WRITING!

Want to ENTICE your readers, ENHANCE their experience, and DISCARD dull and boring? Check out this blog on FORCEFUL VERBS!  

New Year--New Disciplines

Fantasies bubble up inside me--ideas, beginnings, characters. Perfect for short stories. If only I could write them. I begin with zest, but the tale usually dies before it can reach a conclusion. A few have trudged on to "the End." Some have even received "Rejections," and one actually made it to an Ezine. However, too many sit in my files waiting--almost finished. 

With longer endeavors I do better. I have two complete novels ready to shop. A second in my series is perhaps a third of the way through. I'm a pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants, learning the story as I go. I enjoy building my characters and setting. As the protagonist interacts with her world, the plot sorts itself out, unlike my short stories.

So, this year, I've decided to write down all the exciting ideas that pop into my head to look at later. Today I will discipline myself and concentrate on my manuscript, no matter how tempting the scenarios flitting through my head.

Remember, Keep Writing!

My writing buds!

Memories - New England in Autumn

I listen to the air conditioner hum as I look out my

window on the sun-painted landscape. The season has changed from Summer to Fall. Yet, in Southwest Florida the change is imperceptible.

Last week, my husband and I visited my former Massachusetts home. Brrrr! I had no problem recognizing the Autumnal change. But, as I pulled my jacket tighter, I couldn't resist scanning the greenery to spot the tell-tale signs of the season--color. 

Autumn is one of the most vibrant times of the year. The flaming reds, the bright oranges and yellows that herald the end of summer brighten my spirit. Alas, we were too early. I could spy only teases of red. As much as I love the sunny colors of Florida, I miss Fall's splendor. 

I've written a Haiku--fond memories of a New England Autumn:

Nature's Fall display

Instills a sense of wonder 

And peace in my soul.

Red, orange, yellow,

The fleeting colors of Fall

Blaze before they die.

REMEMBER, KEEP WRITING!

Great Story for All Dog Lovers

I just read a heartwarming story about an exceptional Australian shepherd who survived for 44 days in Yellowstone National Park. Michelle Caffrey's exciting account of Jade, a young dog who beat all the odds, is a perfect Christmas gift. Miracles do happen.

www.MichelleCaffrey.com
www.BringJadeHome.com

Just published--New book offering by Naples writer in time for Christmas: 
BRING JADE HOME: The true Story of a Dog Lost in Yellowstone and the People Who Searched for Her.

Michelle Caffrey's heartwarming recount of a family and their Australian shepherd, lost for forty-four days is a seasonally joyful tale for all ages.

BRING JADE HOME. (226 pp. $15.95, and Kindle $9.99 and free on Kindle Unlimited) To obtain a copy of the book in either paperback or PDF format to review, or for an interview, contact Michelle Caffrey at MichelleLCaffrey@gmail.com

Mary McCluskey, award-winning novelist, says, "Bring Jade Home is a true story that reads like a literary thriller. It's a page-turner of a book with a mystery at its heart and a cast of well-drawn characters. The central character, of course, is Jade herself, a beautiful, blue-eyed Australian shepherd, who, after a terrifying traffic accident--chillingly described here--runs off into the stunning wilderness that is Yellowstone National Park.

Haiku - A Taste of Poetry

One shelf of my bookcase is devoted to poetry I love to read. Whether soothing or a call to action, the cadence of the words gives me comfort. When I try to write it, however, I never get past a few stanzas. 

Then I discovered Haiku, a Japanese poetic form. I found it an exciting challenge. The verse contains 17 syllables, arranged in three lines of 5-7-5. An alternate set-up is 11 syllables, 3-5-3. These shortened poems energize my Muse. I love the challenge of creating a cohesive story within a specific cadence.

Last year I wrote a Haiku for each season, based on my life in Massachusetts. This year, I'll need new verse since I've moved to Florida!

Spring

Winter's cold caress
grudgingly suspends its reign
as spring tiptoes in.

Summer

Warm sunlight dancing
atop eager new blossoms
sings a summer tune.

Fall

Fruit of the chestnut,
adorned in a spiky coat,
heralds fall's display.

Winter - Icicles

Water trapped in time
With its too brief frozen life,
sparkling in the sun.

I'd love to see a Haiku from you. Something for the season? Leave it in the Comments section.

Enjoy your holidays and, remember, keep on writing!

Margo

CYA – Cover Your Assets

What assets reside on your computer that you can’t possibly live without? Business? Special photos? Memorabilia? How do you have them protected? What would happen if you lost them?

Okay. You probably know what I’m going to say – Back-Up! I’ve heard the word and passed it on many times. Computers crash. But, when it happened to me, I was shocked, even a little unhinged.
In hindsight, I realize that my computer was acting weird before it died. I blamed the problems on my internet service. Perhaps if I had called for help then, I wouldn’t have lost everything. By the time I tried to do a Windows reinstall, it was too late to save not only my files, but all my programs and drivers.

Now for the good news. I had Carbonite, a cloud-based savior. Programs like this do continual back-ups of your data and store it on their servers. For a low annual fee, Carbonite saved me. I contacted them and they reinstalled the program and downloaded all my files.


I also have two other programs that use the cloud to protect me. One is Dropbox, a free program that can be installed on multiple computers. Because I had Dropbox on both computers, I was able to work on files using my notebook while my laptop recovered. (Another great idea--have an extra online device in case of trouble.) The other program that I, as a writer, absolutely love is called Scrivener. With Scrivener, I create all my work--books and short stories--on their specialized templates. My masterpieces are then saved to their servers. Scrivener is installed on both of my machines, so I was able to keep on writing while my laptop healed. I consider my writing priceless and would pay anything to keep it safe. Lucky for me that Scrivener, like other writing programs, is inexpensive.

Be prepared to download and reinstall your programs and printer drivers, but, with foresight your life can began again.

And remember, keep on writing!

Purloined Prose or Synchronicity?

This is an article I wrote for the Mostly Mystery blog in 2015. Recently the subject surfaced during a meeting, so I've dredged it up from the archives.

How many times have you read a book, seen a movie, or watched a TV show that bore an uncanny resemblance to others you've encountered? I'm not talking about those endless remakes. Nor am I talking about deja vu. 

When a story line follows another so closely that you recognize the plot, does that mean that the author has stolen the plot form someone else? Probably not. Could it be synchronicity? Google defines synchronicity as the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.

Although both suppositions might be true, the more reasonable explanation has to do with the reinvention of a successful formula. That's right--a formula. Okay, you may not be surprised, but I was shocked. I had no idea that most fiction writing could be boiled down to a formula. When an agent described my urban fantasy as following the typical formula--protagonist receives powers on her birthday, finds a mentor, falls in love, and battles a villain, I wanted to cry. I thought it was a bad thing. Turns out everybody does it. Why? Because it works. 

From the age of understanding, we've been influenced by every story we've ever heard, every TV program or movie we've ever seen, and everything we've ever read. Of course we've picked up on the winning formulas that make up a good story. And, the plots that go into our stories reflect the history, science, and technology of our time or the era that interests us. How often have you heard about some technological breakthrough or strange occurrence and gotten an idea for a story?

How many others do you think had the same idea? I can't even begin to guestimate--millions, billions? All those people probably aren't writers. But, of those who are, the ones who've been exposed to the same information and think it would make a good story will undoubtedly have different story ideas. We all have our own unique style of writing, our own voice, and our own sense of plot.

 

Stories like Cinderella have been told over and over again with a unique and creative twist. Look at the movie Pretty Woman. You have Cinderella/the amiable prostitute, treated like trash by "polite" and "not-so-polite" society. The prince/businessman takes his time recognizing her worth, but in the end, comes through, and she lives (one supposes) happily ever after. Julia Roberts' character was quite a different protagonist from Cinderella, but the basic formula flows through the two stories. 

Now, let's look at mysteries. Mysteries, in general, consist of a dead body or two, a sleuth, suspects, red herrings, danger, and a satisfying conclusion. Mysteries, like all genres, can be divided into sub-groups, each with its own formula. Use keywords like "mystery types" or "mystery genres" to find the various categories. Some examples:   Genres of Mystery and Crime Fiction, Hard-Boiled to Cozy: Types of Mystery Novels, Murder by 4: Thirteen Types of Mysteries.

Some of the sub-genres can be broken down again into more specific types. One of my favorites under mystery is cozy. Cozies feature amateur sleuths who have a compelling reason to solve the crime. There is no gratuitous blood, sex or gore--think Agatha Christie. Once you decide to read a cozy, the next step is to decide what type of cozy you want. These books are often broken down into household categories having to do with hobbies, crafts, pets, or cooking. Sometimes the book is based on the sleuth's employment. Again, use your search engine to discover books based on specific criteria i.e., "knitting mysteries", "gardening mysteries", or my first choice, "psychic mysteries".

Today, the internet makes it easy to find what you want. You don't have to despair if you run out of books by your favorite author. An internet search will bring up other books, similar to those. You may find that some stories come very close to those we've previously read. Does that mean one author copied another? "Yes" and "no".

For instance, take this scenario. One author, specializing in gardening, has her protagonist find dead bodies in the gardens of homes where she works. How many other ideas might there be for our gardening detective to discover the victim? Probably not a whole lot of choices out there. Therefore, the plot might mirror others you've read. 

Check out how many books are out there with a green-thumb sleuth. It stands to reason that you will see plot overlap. The major differences will center around the author's voice and the characters. And, of course, the plant genus.

Think synchronicity, formula, overwhelming tide of writers, and underwhelming possible scenarios. The next time someone tells you that your manuscript, short story or book is suspiciously like the latest best seller or movie, lift up your head, smile and say, "Thank you." It means you've followed the formula to perfection.

And, remember, keep writing.

Hubris

for Friday Fictioneers

They think we can't reach them from within this iron fence. 
"We're safe out here," they say. "No ghosts can get us."
And each day they come closer. Soon, someone will grab the fence to peer through the bars. We can wait.

Click here for more creative fiction

The Creep Factor

Oh yes! The Creep Factor is important to my writing. I worried that I wouldn't find it in my new home in Florida, but all I had to do was look around. I'm very visual. Lush foliage is everywhere. It's beautiful--I love it... Of course there's a "but". It's in the density of the bushes and the types of critters they hide. Sometimes it has to do with the presentation. For instance, my husband and I went on a paddle boat ride in a nearby park. Pretty tame, huh? I wasn't expecting to be spooked. That's when it's the worst--when you least expect it. In the middle of this sweet little pond/lake we came across a chilling sight. 

Well, maybe chilling is a little strong, but I thought it was spooky with all those roots tangled in the water and the moss dripping from the trees, sometimes touching the roof of the boat. There was even a raven-like bird watching us.

That was it. That was all it took to get my muse back into action. I simply changed the sunny day to a moonlit night and added some eerie sounds to give me a nice backdrop for a lively little horror story.

I love when some place or some thing arouses my literary interest. Usually I find the fodder for my unholy stories on the internet. Plugging in words like strange, unusual, or weird will bring up the most amazing stories . For instance, this: http://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStory/creepy-clown-scares-wisconsin-city-41139952

This picture could give me a nightmare!

I keep these stories in a file, ready to use when I need to jump-start something I'm writing or add a little excitement. Sometimes, inspiration comes from a photo. Case in point, Creep Clown above. 

Whether you're into the bizarre or the mundane, look around you. Inspiration is everywhere just waiting to be found.

Enjoy the research, and remember, keep writing! 

THE MOVE!

Whew! I have a moment to breathe. My husband and I are in the

middle of a move from MA to FL. It’s been crazy! Picture a little blue Prius with a black canvas rooftop carrier and two stressed individuals scanning the road for turnoffs. In the back, you can see the seat folded down to accommodate a large black animal carrier, dishes for food and water, and a box with kitty litter. Wait a minute. Where are the kitties? If you stretch your imagination just a bit, you can hear the sound of two terrified felines mewling underneath my seat.

The trip lasted eight days, five of which were spent trying to drag the cats back and forth from the car, a tricky exercise at best. At the very beginning, not 15 minutes into the 1400 mile event, we discovered we were missing one cat. On the last day, that same cat, Sammy, dug his claws in. almost taking out the rug under the bed. They were not happy campers, although they now seem content in the place we rented. Of course we haven’t told them that it’s only temporary. Hopefully, Sammy (color of midnight) and Jasper (our Maine Coon boy) will survive one more

trip.

We’re presently in limbo, living between two places. A break in unpacking at our new house gives me time to squeeze in some much-needed writing time. One of my first Florida purchases was a new desk, and here I sit. It feels good to relax and write for a bit. All alone. Not even the cats. Mmm.

My mind has been in turmoil with all we have to do for this relocation, but one day at a time we are getting things done. As I prepare to write this, just me and my laptop, I feel a little lost. My buds, my pals, my trusted friends—the people who make up my writing group are back in Massachusetts. No more cozy discussions on Friday night at Barnes and Noble. No more brainstorming plot, character arc, motivation. No more caring critiques. Okay, we can still email, but it won’t be the same. How am I ever going to find a new writing group? It hurts to think about it.

So, the move to Florida has been tough, but, did I mention the heat? No more snow! I love the swimming pool, and there’s plenty of room for me to ride my bike (no hills). We’re both retired now, so no deadlines. We’ve met quite a few really nice people, and we love our new home. That brings me back to being able to breathe.

Right now, I’m looking out the window in my soon-to-be office. The fan that’s whirring above my head feels heavenly, and the view fills me with comfort. I can feel my Muse grinning. 

Time to write.

Does Geography Affect Writing?

If it’s scary—nerve endings screaming, heart banging against your chest, cross your legs to keep from wetting yourself scary—I want to write about it. I’ve penned stories about ghosts, physical possession, mind control, demons, black magic, psychic powers, and even fairies. And, most of the fodder for the dark places in my mind has originated with stories about the area where I grew up. For instance, a ten minutes’ drive from my home brings me to Salem, MA. No reason to think anything dark or scary ever happened there!

Then there are the stories. I’ve grown up hearing

all kinds of stories about haunted happenings in Salem as well as my own home town, Marblehead. Ideas percolate as I drive through the neighborhoods, where some old house with multiple gables will pique my sense of horror. I can absolutely believe that something unsavory existed or still exists inside. Sometimes, the sight of a creepy house or place will trigger my memory about some old ghost story. And my imagination is off!

Writers like Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft have also been a huge influence on my horror and paranormal writing. Again, both men wrote about the North Shore where I live, so I have no problem believing that the unbelievable here could be real.

I’m a very visual writer. Before I write about a setting, I have to be able to picture it in my mind. The houses in my stories are usually based on actual places or a mixture of places I’ve seen. My choices are endless. But all that is going to change, soon. My

husband and I are moving to Florida! Southeast Florida! We’ve driven around the neighborhoods looking at real estate for sale, and have even found some we love. My dilemma? Have you ever looked at a villa, condo, or home in Florida and gotten chills? Goosebumps? A feeling of being watched? Don’t think so. And I’m not a light-hearted kind of chick. What will happen to my writing?

I went online looking for help. Where were the creepy places in Florida? Swamps! All kinds of creatures live in swamps. I found some stories about a Swamp Skunk, like a smelly Big Foot. That didn’t really get my fingers twitching, although a story with dark humid bogs of muck might work. Or, graveyards. I can always get a few shivers about graveyards. Okay, but wait. There was also something about St Augustine and the most haunted hotel. That sounded promising. Picture an old hotel flanked by trees dripping with moss. Imagine what might happen there in the dark when souls are helplessly asleep. Oooh! Redemption?

Maybe all I have to do is travel a bit and find a new horror channel for my mind. Once I see a few places and connect them with creepy stories, I might be able to come up with ideas. Of course, I know that any place can be a conduit for mind-altering terror. That's always a possibility. And, if that doesn’t work, I guess I

can always go to my heroes Edgar and H.P. I’ll just picture them sloughing through the sand with a beach chair and umbrella. Wherever they land, can horror be far away?

If you know of any places in Florida where I might get inspiration, please let me know. In the meantime, keep writing!

Writer’s Friends—Conferences and Contests

Yikes! It’s a new year and I’ve been so busy editing that I’ve neglected this wonderful blog. Never mind. I’ll bring you up-to-date. I finished off the year with a writing conference. Every writer should avail herself or himself of the chance to mingle with like-minded individuals, and published authors who offer educational insights as well as personal advice. Some conferences for 2016

Crime Bake!

Once again, the November conference put on by Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America was wonderful. Elizabeth George, the guest author, proved to be witty, friendly, and happy to share her writing knowledge and experience. All the authors made themselves available and the panels were informative and humorous. The Master Classes provided up-to-date information on a variety of subjects and made time for Q and A. It was also a great time to catch up with all those writers I haven’t seen for a while.

Conference Opportunities: One of the perks of conferences is pitching your manuscript. This year, Crime Bake held a pitch slam or the chance to pitch to multiple agents. What an opportunity. Two agents asked me to send in partials. Another perk is a manuscript critique. I had an excellent twenty-page critique with Lucy Burdette, who gave me an in-depth review and a written assessment.

Contests: For the Crime Bake Flash

Words contest, a story having to do with crime, and no more than 150 words with 10 chosen from a list of 20 (ashes, blood, body, careless, consequences, death, deception, edge, enemy, evil, hiding, memory, missing, murder, payment, pursuit, shadows, traitor, vengeance, witness).  I was a winner for the fourth year in a row. What an exciting moment, especially sweet after reading all the other excellent submissions. Here is my winner:

Sweet Thing

I was at the River’s Edge Café when he spoke to me—the same chilling words that dogged my nightmares, “Hey there, sweet thing.”

Memories flooded my mind. I was thirteen years old, hiding to spy on my sister and her date. She’d always been careless about boys, and Mom had warned her of the consequences. That night, payment came due, and I was the witness. From the shadows, I’d listened. I’d listened as she laughed. I’d listened as she died. Since her death, I’d thirsted for vengeance.

I blinked and looked at him. The fire in his eyes almost undid me. His honeyed tongue dripped evil. “I was just headed outside for a smoke. Care to join me?”

I sucked back the fear and followed him. Tonight would be different. Tonight I was the one with the gun and the badge to back it up.

###

I’m beginning the new year on a high note with a Submission. On the heels of Crime Bake, I sat down and began re-editing my manuscript, Trace of Evil, to send in to a Ghostwoods Books, as they were accepting submissions until the end of the year. That done, I’m working on a synopsis for the same book to send to RWA’s Golden Heart contest. Once that is out (before 1/11/16), I will work on the changes one of the agents suggested in “Watcher Clan”. Some excellent free writing contests 

This is the year! I'm going to be published. All I have to do is keep on writing.

Pitch Perfect?

One of the most important steps in selling your novel is the pitch. If you’re sending your manuscript to an agent or publisher, then the pitch is your query letter. A query letter differs from an actual face-to-face pitch in that you have time to run it by others to make sure it’s perfect. With the face-to-face pitch, my biggest concern is trying to keep idiocy and desperation at bay. Let’s face it, trying to fill three or five minutes weaving an enticing and unique story description with a complete stranger is, at best, daunting—at worst, terrifying. What’s a lowly writer to do when faced with her Holy Grail?

First, if you’re pitching, you have to be prepared for the request. You know, that coveted goal where someone asks for a full manuscript. If you don’t have a finished or nearly finished product, you shouldn’t be pitching. Trust me. My initial pitch experience was great. The publisher asked for a full manuscript. I floated out of that room, accepting accolades from my fellow writers. The only problem I had was that the story wasn’t finished. Instead of trying to finish it and send it in later with apologies, I gave up.

So, maybe you think you could pitch it and finish it later and send it in. You could, however, think about how many others pitched to that same person that day, and those people probably sent their manuscript in immediately. Now, the agent/publisher selects one or more stories. By the time your manuscript arrives, the slots that were available to that agent/publisher have been filled. No matter the quality of your story, there is no more room. So, do yourself a favor and be ready.

Remember that the person to whom you are pitching wants to hear what you have to say. They are actively looking for their next book and hope you may be its author. They’re rooting for you to succeed.

Next, have a good grasp of your work. It’s all well and good to have memorized a catchy paragraph about your story, but what happens when the agent asks about your character motivations or story arc? Oh no, not the blank face! If they’re interested, you need to be prepared to field questions and flesh out your story. What sets your story apart from all the thousands out there?

And that catchy paragraph needs to not only
outline your story, but tell the listener what will pull the reader in. What is unique about your story? Is the protagonist famous? Remember Eleanor Roosevelt solving mysteries? Does the story take place in a different setting like the Supreme Court? Was the body found in highly unusual circumstances, i.e. the locked room? An agent or publisher is looking for fascinating situations that will pull the reader in. Whether your protagonist belongs to a witch's coven or is the wife of the president of the United States, mention it in your pitch. Throw in a hook at the end that will prompt questions from the agent/publisher as well as the reader.

Most conferences have a class to help you perfect your pitch. Take it!

The last piece of advice I have is the one I find most difficult. And that is to relax and be yourself at the session. By the time I sit down at the table to begin my pitch, I’m in such a frenzy, I want to throw up. It doesn’t help to know I’m not alone in my terror. Of course, by the end of those few minutes, I feel much better and can even smile. I wish I could be more relaxed, but I’m sure the person across from me is used to the nervous writer. I can tell you that if your pitch is part of a fest where you get to pitch to more than one person, then it gets much easier to be yourself.

Multiple pitches? If you are lucky enough to pitch to more than one person, you need a plan. I learned this at Thriller Fest two years ago. First, make sure to research all the agents/publishers ahead of time and choose the ones who will value your work. Rate them in order of your preference. Then, make your first pitch to the person least important to you. Why? Because you will shower the worst of your nerves and mistakes on that person and learn from the experience. By the time you speak to your number one option, your pitch will have become much better.

More pitching advice.

Good Luck! I’m in the process right now of revving up my own pitch to deliver at the New England Crime Bake conference in a few weeks. Yikes!

Remember, keep writing!

Going to Crime Bake

The temperature this morning was in the 40's. Brrr! Almost too cold to type. All right, maybe not that cold, but I had hoped that, by this time, I'd be in the toasty, warm climate of southwest Florida instead of the cooling temps of Massachusetts. We just can't seem to sell our house. Something always happens. The Universe speaking to us? 

One saving grace, however, is that I won't have to take a plane to get to this year's New England Crime Bake conference.

The weekend of November 6th, I'll be driving to Dedham with my writing cohort, Dianne Herlihy. We've gone together for the past four years. 

This year's theme is Murder by George with Elizabeth George as guest author.

If you've never been to a writing conference, you're missing a great opportunity to schmooze with your peers, take writing classes that range from setting up Chapter 1 to promoting sales for your published novel, and, oh yes, speak to agents.    

I've already submitted my twenty pages for a manuscript critique, sent in my 150-word flash story to their competition, put in my name for a manuscript pitch, and signed up for the banquet where everyone is encouraged to dress up as an English crime solver. 

I'm on the fence about that last one, but I know I'll have a wonderful time. Last year's award winning guest author was Craig Johnson, whose books were made into the television series, Longmire. Dianne and I dressed the part.

Positive attitude! This conference may be the one where my work finds an agent or publisher. So, instead of worrying about selling the house, I'll be worrying about choosing my vacation home.

Remember, Keep Writing!
                             

Haiku - an ancient form of Japanese poetry.

Although I love poetry, my numerous attempts to create it have always failed. Until, however, I discovered Haiku, a lovely short form of poetry. A Haiku is made up of only three lines--five syllables for the first and third lines and seven syllables for the second line. 

I begin with a word or topic and let my imagination fly. Here are two I wrote, the first for spring (here now) and the second for summer (soon to be upon us):

Spring
Winter's cold caress
grudgingly suspends its reign
as spring tiptoes in.

Summer
Warm sunlight dancing
atop eager new blossoms
sings a summer tune.

Harness your creative spirit and create your own Haiku. Put it in a reply. I'd love to see it.

Remember, keep writing!

A Writer's Night Out

What's more fun than discussing books? Discussing the hows and whys of writing books. This past Friday, I joined a group of friends to attend a book launch, Edith Maxwell's latest 
in her local foods mystery series, Farmed and Dangerous. I'm currently in the middle of the first book, "A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die" and am thrilled that I have two more waiting for me when I finish it. 

On the ride up to the Jabberwocky Bookshop in Newburyport, laughter and excitement dominated the atmosphere as four energized writers discussed books, authors, and their own creations. With writing being such a solitary existence, it feels wonderful to be able to chat about all things literary with people who share your passion. 

Me, Edith, and Kristin at Jabberwocky

I love to attend book signings because the author always talks about things having to do with the art of writing--the how-to's. Where did they get the idea for the plot, the characters, the setting? How do they keep a series interesting? When do they write? How long does it take them to finish a book? How do they stay focused during the difficult middle pages?

For the most part, writers are generous with their knowledge. I've had the most helpful conversations with some awe-inspiring authors at various writing venues. 

I have to confess that I'd never been to the Jabberwocky Bookshop. It's a wonderful place, offering two floors of books and set inside The Tannery Marketplace, a beautiful two-story building that offers comfortable seating surrounding the stores. 

If you miss the feel of an old-fashioned bookstore, take a trip to Newburyport, MA and check out the writing events Jabberwocky has scheduled. 

I've found one of the best ways to learn the craft of writing is to listen to other writers. Investigate your local libraries and bookstores to see what surprises they have scheduled. Then grab a few friends and enjoy the evening. 

And, remember. Keep Writing!

Complex Villains

http://www.mostlymystery.com

Villains always cause me problems in my stories. Not only do they hide their identity, but they hate telling me anything about themselves. 

So, when Sisters in Crime offered a class on crafting characters, villains included, I signed up. My membership in SinC and their offshoot, Guppies has been invaluable to me. If you don't belong to some kind of group of authors helping other authors, please check out the options in your genre. I also belong to RWA (Romance Writers of America) and its sub chapters, KOD (Kiss of Death) and FF&P (Fantasy, Future and Paranormal).

The day-long workshop helped me diagnose my villainous problems and have a great day with like-minded writers. I was so impressed that I wrote a post with links to other nefarious sites about villains. Click the link at the top to get there.

As always, keep writing!