I always drop chapters toward the end. While I have my outline in front of me I sense certain plot points should come in sooner. The reader will appreciate it and the story won't drag. With my current work in progress, bringing these story elements sooner has affected my word count. Often I find the …
Writing vs. Life
A close friend just left after spending six days with us. He needed a boost and as many of us have rediscovered recently, keeping in touch means keeping sane. We always enjoy his company and the last several days consisted of good food, movies and indepth conversation over vodka or wine. In the past I'd …
‘Boy Swallows Universe’ – Book Review
The first thing you experience when reading Dalton's debut is its prose. The first few chapters seem surreal. A brother writes sentences in thin air. Your end is a dead blue wren. Other images are painted that while poetic, don't make sense. Soon, it finds reality, and a stark one at that. Eli is a …
I’m finally writing again!
My local library is open again. As I live in an apartment with my husband, the library is where I can escape to write. So while we were in isolation, my sequel to Social Media Central was left untouched. After several months I can proudly announce, my work in progress is back on track. With …
New York, 2005
In 2005, we were on a world trip. We took advantage of what used to be 'ten stops on three continents' airline tickets. These days it's only five stops for three continents. https://youtu.be/xWbXopyh7j8 Our seventh stop was New York. When we arrived, our global roaming didn't kick in as the US was still using an …
In isolation but not online much
My husband closed down his Facebook account. He did so early this year and doesn't regret it. It's something I can't do because as an author, I need to have a presence in cyberspace. But since isolation, I drift into my socials, take a quick look, then exit. I've been enjoying a different life since …
Authors in Cinema – Kerouac
The character Joey Potter from Dawson's Creek is not a fan of Jack Kerouac. In season 6, episode 4, she is reading On The Road and says it sucks. She complains there is no story and it's all macho posturing. I read it a long time ago and I didn't get into it either. I …
Trigger Warnings
I was horrified the first time I watched Get Smart. Max shot several people suspected of being Kaos agents. Then the Chief tells him that he's posted a number of Control agents to protect Max. Canned laughter played as Max realises he mistook the Control agents for Kaos operatives and tells the Chief that maybe …
The Negative Reader
I noticed something the other day. I was going to write a review of a favourite book for someone else's blog, but because it had been a while since I read the book, I checked its reviews on Goodreads to refresh my memory on elements of the plot. While pretty much everyone praised it, one …
Would you consider a hashtag to promote your most personal novel?
I was thinking about this in a spare moment, of which there are many. I've often written about what real life influences are weaved into my novels, but I haven't always talked about the storylines that come from more personal experiences. For example, one of my novels has a storyline that reflects feelings I had …
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