You can't always tell who's going to pick up your story and read it. Sometimes, readers are unpredictable. Those who don't read your genre may stumble upon it and read it anyways, and what speaks to one person won't to another. But you can tell some things about your own story based on the fiction … Continue reading What Fiction Classifications Can Tell You About Your Readers
Blog: Into the Writer Lea
Writers are told to make their verbs work for them--which means picking verbs powerful enough to stand without modifiers and adverbs like "very," "slowly," "quickly," and the like. But sometimes this can lead to distracting the reader, where the verb used is so particular, so unique, and so unusual as to send them to the … Continue reading The Power of Good Verbs
Plots have been recycled ever since stories have been told, reusing themes like sacrificial death, the poor becoming rich, the ugly becoming beautiful, and other archetypes. Even great works like those of Shakespeare or Jane Austen can be traced to other influences, ideas, and concepts, but how do you make an old plot new? How … Continue reading How to Make an Old Plot New
I've been collecting quotes from books for years now and figure it's high time I put them to use. So here is the quote of the week: "If you look down and are not frightened of heights (the Society for the Preservation of This and That have put up some excellent railings to preserve you … Continue reading Quote of the Week
So I recently had a suggestion that I create image widgets about my book coaching so they can be put in sidebars, so I did. Thanks, Trix! You're welcome to copy them and post them on your own site, Facebook, etc. Thank you all so much for your interest and support! Copyright 2017 Andrea … Continue reading Widget Images Are Here!
Title: Long Road Out of Ur Author: Joel Thimell Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Historical Description per Goodreads: Something is rotten in Mesopotamia. A troublesome priest has been murdered; the pagan New Year's rites defiled; a royal tomb is robbed; and a would-be grifter, Lot, is in the wrong place at the wrong time. His father, grandfather and … Continue reading Book Review: Long Road Out of Ur
In the last month, I was nominated for the Mystery Blogger Award by both Adam from Write Thoughts and Ronel the Mythmaker. Both blogs discuss writing and storytelling with class, distinction, and a whole lot of fun. Thanks for sharing your time and work with the world, and for nominating me! What is the Mystery … Continue reading First Mystery Blogger Award
I've been collecting quotes from books for years now and figure it's high time I put them to use. So here is the quote of the week: "Human speech is like a cracked tin kettle, on which we hammer out tunes to make bears dance when we long to move the stars." Gustave Flaubert, Madame … Continue reading Quote of the Week
In writing, we're told to "kill our darlings" and get rid of the bits of writing we love if they don't serve the story. But what if we could those little scenes and transform them into something useful, incorporating the elements that are near and dear to our heart with the plot? It won't always … Continue reading 4 Ways to Make a Scene Matter
If you ever wanted a free critique to a beginning of one of your stories--if something is nagging you and you want a second pair of eyes, or if you just wanted to flex your writing muscles and help out another writer--then you'll be happy to know that the Under the Microscope feature on A … Continue reading Under the Microscope is Back at A Writer’s Path
