tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64977705059080416862024-02-26T12:33:11.028-05:00The Pen vs the SwordA writer offers thoughts for others wishing to follow a similar journey.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-55000505568989405992023-07-01T07:32:00.005-04:002023-07-02T11:16:09.166-04:00Release of my first book! Today's the DAY!Death. It comes for us all. That's this life's guarantee.The questions
are always how, why, and when. What happens afterwards, either for
those who passed or those who remain? Or does anything happen? This
collection of stories explores those questions. Ebook is available through Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. Gardners just got the file so Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-19850297616789401442016-07-26T07:00:00.000-04:002016-07-26T07:00:14.169-04:00The Tao of MurphyIn my last blog post, I mentioned someone named Murphy.
Of course you know Murphy.
No?
Of course you do. You know the old saying:
“Anything that can go wrong, will.”
That’s Murphy’s Law. And anything following from this law, I call the voice of Murphy himself. (Or herself, depending on how you wish to see it.)
What has this to do with writing, you might wonder. Here's my link to that.
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-29368634135681941472015-11-28T08:48:00.000-05:002016-07-25T20:01:21.440-04:00Pinpointing the reasons for a stop*The lecturer walks to the front of the classroom, arms overloaded with books, calendars, pictures, etc. He drops them all on the table. Then pulls a CD from among the detritus and slips it into a player*
Welcome back to the author tutorial. Today we have a guest speaker.
I should be writing: Crippling Fear
Why did I bring this up?
For one, because Mur is an awesome writer, awesome podcaster,Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-59987046709519876832014-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:002016-07-25T20:01:50.859-04:00Department of Redundancy Department Report: AbbreviationsSo thanks to the whole Target debacle, my bank decided to replace my
ATM card and its associated numbers. I’m looking over the paperwork they sent
me and I’m boggled that their proofreader missed this error:
PIN number
But this wasn’t the only time I’ve seen such a glaring error. In
digging through my car’s manual for a part number for my brake system, I
stumble across this doozy:
ABS Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-91187500071726468672013-08-03T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.594-04:00OMG! I’ve been Tagged
So I’m curious. How many ways can we change the word Said in
a story. This made me grab my trusty thesaurus.
Commented, reacted, stated, ejaculated, shouted, expounded,
verbalized, blurted, exclaimed…
Yeah, the list isn’t short, as you can see.
What made me start this search, you might ask? Truth is, I
was beta reading someone else’s story and I noticed their dialogue tags. You
know Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-24283107062525463602013-07-23T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.518-04:00Fun with Community Terms
Have
you ever just stopped to look up what term is used for a group of something?
A
flock of birds. A pride of lions. A murder of crows. A gaggle of geese.
It
was something that got me thinking. What would a group of writers be considered?
I tossed a few ideas around in my head.
A
pen of writers? Naw, sounds too much like we’d be in a kennel like dogs.
A
book of writers? Yeah, I’m soBretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-30792370080875403932013-07-20T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.534-04:00Against the Negative Grain
Times
are tough as a writer. Some people might argue that we’re in the golden age of
writing, but it’s just the opposite.
How
can I state such a thing?
Consider
this.
Positives
– We have self publishing. We have the internet to allow easy access to many
books that we maybe didn’t have before. We’ve got international communities of
writers who help and support each other.
Lots
of Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-22076147335871373932013-07-06T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.511-04:00The Character QuirkThere are books and blogs out there that suggest adding a quirk to a character to enhance it and make it seem more real to the reader. This is good advice, but it shouldn’t stop there.
To me, this is my big important thought: BE CAREFUL WHAT QUIRK YOU CHOSE!
This might seem like someone being sensitive, but trust me when I say that psychological triggers are the peskiest of problems to find andBretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-61919421095699950382013-06-23T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.563-04:00How Sketchy is Your Character?There are some things to consider when dealing with characters. Much as we writers hate dealing with negative reviews, some of them will contain useful information. The character of course will dictate a lot of how someone feels about the story they read. So we need to understand our character as best we can.
To learn about the character, many books and blogs offer many techniques, many ideas Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-89152252878221282892013-06-15T08:00:00.000-04:002016-10-16T14:14:53.616-04:00So not the Sea of BinaryThe usual advice for many writers is Do Not Read Reviews of your work. In an effort to create a bit of research for the blog I decided to do the dirty work and read reviews for you. The common concept I picked up frequently: The character felt flat. Or Very two dimensional creation. For an author, this could potentially be bad.
Characters and plot are the two big things in stories. The thing to Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-55282161493244785072013-06-01T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.552-04:00It’s Time to Submit – Run away! Run Away!So we’ve reached the next step. The story is written, edited, and polished. It sparkles enough that we can allow others to bask in its glow. Yeah. In order to do that, we need to send it to publications.
Okay, I’ll turn off the spotlights.
Now take a deep breath. I realize you’re thinking about what happens when an editor gets the story in hand. Let me give you a few guidelines to help ease youBretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-27002020997590063142013-05-28T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.527-04:00Monthly Work Update - The Lost OnesI decided to add a new series of posts to the blog this year. These
posts will detail my works in progress, or WIPs. I’m not going into details on plot or
characters, but I will offer insight into how the story came about, where it may
be going, and how close I feel it is to completion.
Tentative title: The Lost
Ones
Original concept: A
captain goes in search of his Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-70475899554134866532013-05-23T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.571-04:00Numbers and their ilk
The time has come that you’re now writing regularly. Perhaps
you chose to have multiple ideas running at one time, perhaps you didn’t.
Things feel good, feel strong. Sitting
to write has that feeling of flow. When you complete a writing session, you
feel accomplished. That is, until someone asks you a question.
“How much did you write?”
Wow. Way to burst our happy bubble, person! Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-47973844063889508602013-05-18T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.545-04:00Sometimes – Write what you DON’T know
I’m sure I’ve stated before I don’t always agree with the
older adages of writing advice that are bandied about to newer writers. There
are many that you look at and go “What the heck does THAT mean?” when you read
them. While these comments are designed
to help the new writer, they don’t always give the full details of what they
mean.
Take for instance this option: Write what you Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-24521820989159341712013-05-04T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.522-04:00My Reservoir Needs Some Inspiration<!--[if gte mso 9]>
800x600
<![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-77081320813896499672013-04-28T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.575-04:00Work in Progress - Blood Bond<!--[if gte mso 9]>
800x600
<![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-68291230470411155132013-04-23T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.567-04:00The Pattern leads to the Matrix…<!--[if gte mso 9]>
800x600
<![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-61565832445054157982013-04-20T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.559-04:00Tools of the Writing Trade<!--[if gte mso 9]>
800x600
<![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-27008751641368788762013-04-06T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.531-04:00The Write-In Versus the Writing Group - Ready? Fight!I considered leaving this post for during November, as it would fit the theme of National Novel Writing Month, but with the start of Camp NaNoWriMo, maybe it best I do it now. I’m going to look at the two common forms of writer gatherings – a write-in and a writing group.
Let me start by discussing the similarities of both concepts. A write-in and a writing group are gatherings of writers.
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-16776032295694863502013-03-28T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.503-04:00Monthly WIP Update - Great Divide
I decided to add a new series of posts to the blog this year. These posts will detail my works in progress, or WIPs. I’m not going into details on plot or characters, but I will offer insight into how the story came about, where it may be going, and how close I feel it is to completion.
Tentative title: The Great Divide
Original concept: A Pangaea exists with all Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-39804026989746373282013-03-23T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.538-04:00Respect the Block<!--[if gte mso 9]>
800x600
<![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-22751865356229945562013-03-16T08:00:00.000-04:002016-07-25T20:02:50.515-04:00We Know All and See All<!--[if gte mso 9]>
<![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-91194156892115971752013-03-02T08:00:00.000-05:002016-07-25T20:02:50.597-04:00He did what, with who, for how much?Continuing on my series regarding point of view, I’m going to skip second person for now and address one of the third person styles. I’ve heard it called third person focused or third person limited. Both offer the same concept.Let me first define the POV. Third Person Limited is characterized by the standard third person pronouns - he, she, it, they. It is similar to Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-55563088468057303172013-02-28T08:00:00.000-05:002016-07-25T20:02:50.556-04:00WIP Update - Space Fire and RescueI decided to add a new series of posts to the blog this year. These posts will detail my works in progress, or WIPs. I’m not going into details on plot or characters, but I will offer insight into how the story came about, where it may be going, and how close I feel it is to completion. Tentative title: Rescue and Fire Station 5 (Short story series)Original concept: The local Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497770505908041686.post-16956322923982915832013-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:002016-07-25T20:02:50.507-04:00Knowing where you’ve been - FirstsI’ve spoken about a few things when I’ve written about tracking. I’ve frequently keep my writing brain pointed forward, directed toward the goal I want to reach. Every once in a while, however, it’s fun to look back and find where you’ve been, see how things have changed.For that fun, I thought I’d list a few of my firsts.Not going to bother with first words written, because I Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07195805756215559587noreply@blogger.com0