Archive for January, 2008
Organic chocolate would make a tasty gift for that special person on Valentine’s Day
Who among us can resist a website selling Organic Valentine’s Chocolate with the slogan, “Go ahead, it’s good for you”? Not me. They got my attention the minute I saw the word “chocolate” and took a look around the “Kate’s Caring Gifts” website.
Given the fact my wife, Shirley, likes chocolate even more than I, I’ll […]
Non-writing techniques to help you find and develop story ideas
Do you draw? Do you have a talent for sketching? Or are you like me and have problems getting stick people to even look like stick people?
A great technique to help you with a story idea is to try sketching what you’re thinking about a character, a location, actual motion or movements within the scene, […]
If you could go anywhere in the world — HotelsbyCity.net could help you
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? How about a selection of quality cheap hotels to choose from when you get there?
This afternoon’s “Useful Website” offers a huge selection of hotels nationally and worldwide, “HotelsbyCity.net.” But they offer much more than simple hotel listings. They have a wealth of general […]
Did you see that interesting interview with John Grisham on ‘Today’?
Through the marvel of working at home and with a little help from our DVR, I get to see some interesting interviews with writers. Yesterday’s “Today Show” interview with John Grisham was one of those. Click on the link and enjoy it for yourself. (Yeah, I know it’s one of those online videos which forces […]
Happy? Here’s a useful website for increasing your happiness level
I’m not all that good at humor, but I AM pretty good at living a generally happy life. How about you? Are you happy as a rule? Happiness is sort of like humor in that you know when it’s there, but you can completely destroy it if you “over think” it.
Here’s a useful website […]
What makes humor funny? Share your tips for humor writing
I’ve always been a funny person. No, seriously, I really am a funny guy. I know everyone says that and the world is filled with wannabe comedians — but I really AM funny.
My point is this: Humor isn’t humor if you have to explain it, repeat it, or insist on it. Humor writing is a […]
Then there are words with wide ranges of meaning — I’m talking about connotations
Not a euphemism, nor exactly a misused word, but “mountain” is one of those terms so broadly defined and widely used that you could debate the value of it.
For example, I was looking at a website earlier today about Pigeon Forge cabin rentals, located in the Smoky Mountains. I’ve never been to the Smoky Mountains, […]
A little word fun: What are your favorite euphemisms?
Euphemisms are those words or phrases we use when we want to dress up a word or phrase in something more pleasant. A euphemism often hides a more direct or even blunt term. I’m sure you know what I mean. I ran onto a website that listed dozens of euphemisms, several of which I use […]
Now for something a little different — Do you golf? Why?
I wrote that title somewhat tongue in cheek. I understand golf, and I know many people — including many writers — golf to relax, to let off stress, to get exercise. But me? No. Only once. I shot something like 104 in my one and only round of golf.
Uh, that was 104 for 9 holes.
But […]
Are you a researcher or a writer? Or are you both?
Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, chances are you have to do at least a little bit of research. Is research something you enjoy doing? Where do you do most of your research?
The good old Internet has changed a lot of the options writers have for doing research. Some of the information which used to […]
More about anachronisms and the use of ‘literary license’
I really like the term “literary license.” It sounds so official, as though I as a fiction writer have been approved to use words that’ll even kill — thinking about James Bond and his OO7 license, of course.
All “literary license” means, of course, is the wonderful freedom I have to tell likes and disguise them […]
Here’s a useful financial website to help with your writing business
I’ve tried to keep this blog balanced pretty evenly writing tips, grammar tips, writing “how-tos,” and also some useful websites and discussion of writing as a business. Sometimes I fear I fail to address the writing business aspect.
If you’re earning your living or any part of your living as a writer, you understand the basics […]
Western novel excerpts revisited — how I got the idea, what I’m doing with it
When I posted the first excerpt from my Western novel, I made a comment or two about the genre and said it was more a “vanity” thing than anything else. I grew up back in the 1950s and ’60s when there were a ton of Western movies being made and lots of TV Westerns that […]
Our late-January ‘thaw’ has me thinking less of writing, more about travel
Here’s a useful website for you today if you’re mind, like mine, is more on getting out to enjoy a late-January “thaw” than on writing — “Trusted Tours & Attractions,” a company I know I’ve mentioned on other blogs. But I don’t think I’ve shared the site here before. As you might suspect from the […]
Second excerpt of Western novel — comments, please?
At one point, I had a blog started called “Tales of the Old West.” I posted this and the earlier excerpt which I posted here yesterday. I had some links on that blog to merchants for “Rustic Decor” and “Western Decor” furniture, as well as some cowboy type belt buckles. Unfortunately, the site was tanked […]
