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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

PM Pillon's Thoughts on Writing Style, Life Stories & Perception @PMPillon #WriteTip #AmWriting #SciFi

Our writing relies on our perceptions, leading us down a bright or dark path if that’s how we see the world but and are infinite in variety. For instance in Dostoyevsky’s case appreciating and writing about appalling privation because he himself experienced it as a starving writer and Solzhenitsyn also as a state prisoner. Who can fail to be moved by the young man’s utter destitution in Crime And Punishment, or the Gulag convict fussing over...

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

John E. Wade II on How "Glimpses of Heaven on Earth" is a Timely Read #Gender #Inspiration #TBR

I very much enjoyed writing Glimpses of Heaven on Earth, as an inspirational read that I hope gives its readers some interesting thoughts to contemplate. The book includes quotations and essays on the following topics: peace and security, freedom, democracies, prosperity, gender harmony, racial harmony, spiritual harmony, ecological harmony, health, and moral purpose and meaning. This is a follow-up to my prior book, How to Achieve...

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Rik Stone Shares Practical Writing Advice Writers @Stone_Rik #AmWriting #Authors #WriteTip

The truth of the matter is a full length manuscript is nothing more than an expanded short story. And a short story is a blown up account of something that interested you over coffee, or in a pub, or a musing on the way to work, a joke, an anecdote, a newspaper article, an idea of what you might have done if you’d won the latest lottery (we’ve all been there). The source is endless. But whatever it is you come up with, it should have a beginning,...

Thursday, November 27, 2014

LUCIFER & THE INDIGO KIDS by Lord Ra Krishna EL @Lord_Ra_Krishna #Excerpt #Poetry #TBR

Geronimo... (and the ones with religion) Dear Geronimo... My Great, Great grand Father They took you from us And our people were slaughtered... They didn't break your spirit You passed it unto me And I will spark the movement As soon as I get free... They hunted and chased you I clearly remember They would have never caught you They're lucky you surrendered... They tricked you and stole your land and we even have the audacity to celebrate...

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

#Excerpt from WITNESS TO MY HEART by Loni Flowers @LoniFlowers #AmReading #Romance #TBR

“Do you know how great that bathing suit fits you?” he commented. I was surprised by the unexpected compliment. “Thanks. It’s definitely not the bikini I should have been wearing, according to Caroline.” “You can see just as much in a bra and panties, which I’ve already seen.” “Only the bra,” I corrected him. “Personally, I’ve always preferred a woman in a one-piece. The way it molds to the skin… perfectly outlining every delectable curve...

Hank Quense on Using Scene Settings to Develop the Rest of the Story @hanque99 #AmWriting

Why choosing your setting is important A setting for a new story is one of the earliest attributes I assign. I need the setting on order to develop the rest of the story design elements. More about the story design elements later. There are two separate types of setting in a story. One is the overall setting such as a Medieval kingdom or Victorian London or an alien planet. The second type of setting is a subset of the overall setting...

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY #Excerpt by Victoria Bernadine @VicBernadine #AmReading #ChickLit

Manny laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling and waiting for sleep. She plucked restlessly at the blanket and wished she could relax. Tomorrow was Steph’s first staff meeting. Today she’d reacquainted herself with everyone in the office then spent the rest of the day with Manny being briefed on the details of the work of the branch and any current issues she’d need to resolve within the next few days. That meant Manny’s own work had been...

Friday, November 7, 2014

Cheryl Rice Shares How #Poetry Was an Outlet for Sorrow @RiceonLife #AmReading #Women

Why Writing is a Form of Personal Therapy If someone asked me what three things I’d take if I were stranded on a desert island I would say, my dog Gracie for love and companionship, dark chocolate as my drug of choice, and a very large, spiral bound, unlined journal with an attached Paper Mate InkJoy pen for therapy. Writing has always been a safe haven for me. Through it I have found a sanctuary of comfort, clarity and sanity. I remember...

Thursday, November 6, 2014

@KirstenWriter on the Ingredients for a Satisfying Reading Experience #AmReading #TBR #Suspense

Eeek! She’s Gonna Crash! The Joys and Perils of a Towering TBR Pile By Kirsten Mortensen The leaning tower of Pisa? Ha. That’s nothing. You should see my To Be Read pile! I can’t help it, I guess. I love books so much, and I’m interested in so many different types of books and so many authors, that I always end up buying more books than I could possibly read. And, to make it worse, I’m one of those people who reads multiple books at...

Friday, October 31, 2014

K S Ferguson on What Readers Want From a Hero #Fantasy #WriteTip #AmReading

What makes a hero? According to bestselling thriller author John Sanford, a hero has to be handsome (or beautiful if female), intelligent, and successful. Think about your favorite books. Does that description apply to the characters you liked most, the ones you were thinking about weeks, months, or even years after you put the book down? Writers are warned to stay away from clichés. If all main characters meet Sanford's description, won't...

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Ultimately, People Will Think What They Think, Says @AmyLewisAuthor #Life #Grief #Memoir

Integration: Inviting all parts of yourself to the dinner table I am a chameleon; I’ve known for a long time. I sit across from someone, even a stranger, and within 60 seconds I can unconsciously read them and magically transform myself into what they want/expect/need me to be. This can make dating a nightmare when the day comes that they realize I am not that person. But otherwise, I don’t see this quality of mine as a problem. It’s allowed...