Peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part. The Earth Charter The 2024 Writers Alliance Peace Poetry Contest yielded fifteen terrific local poets. The theme was “Peace On and With the … Read More
Editor’s Note: We’re currently reading James Hagerty’s book Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer’s Guide to Telling Your Story, and it made us recall an excellent (and very funny) post on this same subject by WAG’s very own Connie Morrison. Reprinted here, with the author’s permission, is her post from … Read More
This quarter’s prompts are going to be a bit different—inspired by a Facebook post from Cynthia Bertelsen, our most excellent former blog editor. Cynthia posted this tribute to acclaimed photographer Vivian Maier: Now, we’ve long admired the work of Diane Arbus. But we’re going to have to admit that we’d never … Read More
Night had fallen long since, the lights extinguished in the neighbors’ houses. Corelli’s Opus 6 concerti grossi played quietly on my CD player, and the dogs snored behind my chair. I, however, slumped in front of my computer screen, forcing my tired eyes to focus on a short story. … Read More
WAG has some truly talented and imaginative writers! We posted these three visual prompts in January and asked members to submit stories—500 words or less, any genre—in response. Here they are: Jenny Dearinger chose photo #1 (Double Exposure 1965): CHOICES by Jenny Dearinger I stood in front of the … Read More
I’m a writer. I’m also a blogger—weekly, A Veteran’s Journey. In my last article (“Blogging 101: Who, What, When, Where, &… Why”), I ventured into the big “why” you should blog and offered a few examples of different types of blogs. After all, blogging is not for everyone. I also … Read More
I’m a writer. Even though I’ve written and published several books, I’m still trying to understand what an author does. Just when I think I’ve got it figured out… BAM, I feel like I get hit with a ton of bricks—I realize I haven’t a clue. I still have much … Read More
Ah, fellow indie warrior! Book marketing for us independent authors is a different beast than what our traditionally published peers experience. While they have the backing of publishing houses with dedicated marketing teams, we wear many hats, including chief cook and marketing bottle-washer. But fear not, for even without an … Read More
While most writers are astute observers of human nature, they may not know the ins and outs of the psychotherapy field nor the specific symptoms and causes of various mental disorders. As a reader, I sometimes wince at a blatant mistake regarding some aspect of psychology in an otherwise well-written … Read More
You ask, we listen! Not only have we extended the timeframe for submissions, we are also posting THREE prompts to hopefully spark your imagination. Stories are 500 words or less and can be in any genre: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, limerick, memoir, sci-fi, horror, fantasy…the field is wide open. Can you … Read More
I could have titled this blog post “Oldest Influencer on YouTube,” but that would be hyperbole. I might not be the oldest, and it’s a bit of a stretch to call me an influencer. I am an artist, and I write books for children and teens. In June 2022, impatient … Read More
As President of WAG, Jenny was invited to be the Guest Speaker at the inaugural ceremony of the P.K. Yonge UF Research School’s induction ceremony of 29 Seniors into the National English Honor Society (NEHS). Jenny received a lot of positive feedback from people who found the speech motivational and … Read More
As someone with the “gift” of gab, telling stories has never been a struggle for me. Fantasies fight for prominence in my dreams. Ideas wake me from sleep in the dead of night, demand my attention while I drive through town on errands, interrupt my words when I am in … Read More
We were so looking forward to a horror-infused story about the black cloud of ectoplasm that appears to be haunting this poor woman. (Who you gonna call? I ain’t afraid of no ghosts.) Alas, we will tuck this photo back into the blank journal from which it came, and … Read More
Friends in my exercise class often share tidbits of information and recommendations: a good Netflix movie (The Wife with Glen Close) a favorite series (Last Tango in Halifax) an alternative to a pumice stone for removing a mineral ring inside a toilet bowl (220 grit 3M Drywall-Sanding screen—see image) a … Read More
Do you need a break from that long piece you’re working on? Are you in a writing rut and need a little jumpstart? Just looking for a new challenge? Hogtowne Quill is here to help! Change out of those Crocs or Uggs or comfy slipper socks, my fellow WAGonauts (WAGvillians? WAGonites?) … Read More
One of the enjoyable aspects about writing is that it is a lifelong endeavor; there is always more to learn, and sometimes insights come unexpectedly and from unusual quarters. When it comes to the process of writing a story, I lean more towards being a “pantser” than a “plotter.” Once … Read More
WAG wants to entice you—yes, YOU—to throw off your beach towel and wade into the refreshing pool that is the Hogtowne Quill. To that end, we are introducing three new dedicated blog topics and expanding a fourth. These are: Humor (500-1,000 words) Do you have any writing or grammar pet … Read More
Though it seems less true nowadays, I’ve discovered, agents favor writers who are published—and publishers like writers who have an agent. So where do you start? I’m told writers conferences are a good way to make an impression on an agent and get them to look at your work. However, in … Read More
WAG’s mission is all about writers helping writers. (Check out this video!) Whatever stage of the writing life you are in—from just getting started to already having published your work—we have you covered. Here is a list of all the ways that becoming part of the WAG community can help … Read More
What do you do when you cannot “see” a character you are writing? As writers, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I hear characters. Dialogue comes naturally to me, but to see a setting or character, I need tools to help me. Drawing on the traditions of newspaper morgues … Read More
Cassie Dandridge Selleck, author of an Amazon bestseller The Pecan Man, will present a program for writers on the basics of the Story Code™. Please join us on Sunday, September 10, 2023, at 2:30 pm at the Milhopper Branch of the Alachua County Public Library. How do you predict the … Read More
As a multi-racial African American woman, I have been navigating diversity and inclusion all my life and have been centering these in my writing for the past 30 years. My goal here—as a diversity consultant, editor, sensitivity editor, and writing coach—is to share a few lessons that may help writers … Read More
The event was a smash success, in my personal opinion. Why? Because everyone involved was so incredibly amazing. I was blown away by the personal stories that people were willing to share. It was fascinating to hear everyone’s different adventures through life and how they’ve made a difference in people’s … Read More
Have you ever noticed something about interest groups? Like book groups or cooking groups or writing groups? Actually, any group run by volunteers manifests certain specific characteristics, regardless of the common theme drawing people together in the first place. And one of the most glaringly apparent commonalities lies in the … Read More
“Communication,” an exhibit based on a collaboration between the Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG) and the Gainesville Fine Arts Association (GFAA), generated quite a bit of interesting conversation. Authors were either pleased or disappointed by the work created in response to their offerings. Some of the art followed classic, … Read More
Birds fascinated my father. I could never quite understand why. Not until he died. My mother dumped his bird-watching books on me. I knew then what the scientist in him saw when he watched birds in their natural habitat: great variety, environmental adaptations, the living proof of Charles Darwin’s theory … Read More
In the 2000 film, Finding Forrester, Sean Connery played the fictitious author William Forrester, described by the Washington Post as “a cross between Howard Hughes and J.D. Salinger.” In the movie, Forrester supposedly wrote the great American novel Avalon Landing, his first and only book, and one that took the … Read More
Recent feedback to a series of stories I shared on Facebook made me lean back in my chair and have a good mull-over. “I especially enjoy the humanity that comes through your stories….” Oh? I’ve read several commentaries about how over-zealous English professors and critics can imbue a story … Read More
I’ll admit it, I spend a lot of time compiling bibliographies. For me, there’s something inherently satisfying about seeing a list of references all lined up, like bunches of beautiful flowers waiting to be picked. Research, for both fiction and nonfiction, requires bibliographies. To recreate past worlds, as in historical … Read More
WHY I CHOSE TO DESIGN MY OWN BOOKS I started designing and editing my own books for practical reasons. At first, I thought writing a book would be a lark, that I’d write one children’s book and be done with it. I didn’t want to dump a whole bunch of … Read More
In the case of your memoir, only you can know for sure what’s apt and what’s not. Memoirist Mary Karr, celebrated for her gritty memoir, The Liars’ Club, quoted Jerry Stahl’s comment from his memoir, Permanent Midnight: “If you had to live it, you get to write it.” Yes, you … Read More
In the first part of this two-part series, I covered a few of the basics of self-publishing, primarily the more creative aspects. Here I look at some aspects of self-publishing that will help place your book on booksellers’ and libraries’ shelves. LOC Control Numbers: To ensure that your books might … Read More
After my experience with the publisher of my first book, Mushroom: A Global History, I decided I wouldn’t go the traditional route again. It wasn’t because the publisher did anything bad. Au contraire. They did an amazing job: high-quality paper, vivid interior colors, excellent editing and fact-checking, proper layout. The … Read More
On January 8, 2023, the Writers Alliance of Gainesville general meeting attracted a large crowd of members and non-members alike Apparently, everyone wants to write a children’s book. Witness best-selling authors John Grisham and Stephen King. Not to disparage these gifted authors’ work, but who can compete with them? It’s … Read More
There is a history in all men’s lives. ~ William Shakespeare, Richard II Christopher Morley, commenting on Shakespeare’s Hamlet being read by a middle-aged person wrote, “It is a better play now because you are a better reader.” When I read that line in college, I was mildly offended. … Read More
Here’s wishing all of you a happy holiday season! Hogtowne Quill will be back in full force on January 4, with another thought-provoking article. Why not make it your New Year’s resolution today to write an article (or two) in 2023 for Hogtowne Quill?
Stuck in the house with nowhere to go, the pandemic should have been a great opportunity for me to get the creative juices flowing and write. That didn’t happen. My writing was as stuck as I was. Cooking shows, game shows, and predictable Hallmark mysteries filled my afternoons. I … Read More
As writers, we are in the business of “creating,” but what exactly does that mean? By definition, the word, creation, means “the act of making, inventing, or producing something, especially something new or different. It can be an original work of art, the first representation of a dramatic role, … Read More
I hate writing, I love having written. ~ Dorothy Parker As most writers know, the publishing world is not the place it was as recently as fifteen years ago, a time when an unknown writer like me could earn $600 for a 2000-word piece in a national newspaper. Book publishing, … Read More
For those interested—however few you may be—I’m retired. Being retired means I have time to ruminate on things good, bad, and pointless. Just so you know, I worked as a probation officer in Miami, eleven years at that job under my belt. From that experience springs some of my stories. … Read More
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other name would smell as sweet. Juliet, Romeo and Juliet 2:2 Perhaps, Juliet, perhaps, but your Romeo might have been bullied in school and a bit less heroic and far more introverted if his name had been … Read More
So …you’re writing your novel or short story and you need some detailed information … You’re looking for the best way to hide a body. You want to deactivate a homemade bomb … or you want to build one. You want to slowly poison someone, but you’re not sure if … Read More
Shakespeare himself could have done a bit of background research while writing his play, Julius Caesar. How’s that? In Act 2, Scene 1 of Julius Caesar, there’s a famous example of an anachronism. Brutus and Cassius discuss a mechanical clock: Brutus: “Peace! Count the clock.” Cassius: “The clock has stricken three.” But guess … Read More
Amazon’s KDP has begun an additional way to publish, called Kindle Vella. It’s a way for writers to possibly capture a new audience: those who read on their phones. Phone readers of my acquaintance lean toward the younger side. I also recognize commuters on trains and busses are using the … Read More
Over forty-four years ago, Julia Cameron woke up one morning, her marriage to director Martin Scorese in tatters, her head throbbing from yet another night of overindulgence in the grape. Other things happening in her life led her to the realization she needed to do something. That something turned out … Read More
Books can be written in many genres. I like to write children’s books, specifically, picture books. Everybody and her sister has an idea for a children’s book. Which is great! But, it’s a lot harder to write than you might think. In this article, we’ll focus on a few key … Read More
Please share your stories of serendipitous encounters with readers. Hogtowne Quill will run the occasional article on such inspiring happenings. Three WAG authors share their stories about connecting with readers Once upon a few years ago, I attended a book signing event at the library. The author was … Read More
Beautiful View? How so? You turn the pages of what promised to be a ripping yarn. But “it” happens again. On the very first page, you read “It was a beautiful view.” A few pages later, again, a similar example pops up: “James is a big man, and a bad … Read More
It seems to me our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for … Read More
Writing is more like a sculpture where you remove, you eliminate in order to make the work visible. Even those pages you remove somehow remain. There is a difference between a book of two hundred pages which is the result of an original eight hundred pages. The six hundred pages … Read More
WAG was well represented at the recent Author Showcase and Book Festival on May 14 hosted by the Jacksonville chapter of Women Writing for (a) Change, held at the beautiful historic Jacksonville home of organizer Jennifer Wolfe. Thirty-five authors were joined by Hands-on OCEANS Education team from the Jax Zoo, … Read More
Wikipedia As some of you may know, we ran a contest for selecting a new name for the WAG blog. And the winning name – Hogtowne Quill – came from WAG member Andy Adkins. Thanks, Andy! What’s in a name? Well, in this case, there’s a hint of both … Read More
Brad raised his hand. “Yes, Mr. Smith, you have a question?” Dr. C. asked, stuffing his lecture notes into his leather briefcase, the one that looked as if an M48 tank had run over it. “I do, sir. How do you read all those books you review for the American … Read More
Walking to the corner store can be interesting if well written. ~ Dave Barry It is almost impossible to explain how it feels to be lost in the middle of nowhere with no end in sight. Dawn began with the call of exotic wild birds as the sun … Read More
Nature writing involves the combining of the two cultures of humanistic art and technical science into a seamless view of culture and nature interacting. ~ Gary Paul Nabhan, author of Mesquite: An Arboreal Love Affair Being in nature is one place that truly makes my heart joyful. And provides … Read More
During their writing lives, poets wear many hats. But, at some point, many either become historians, chronicling their time period, or evolve into social activists working toward social and political change. Still, poets are much more. They resemble an unending string of pearls, members of a unique grouping of visionaries. … Read More
While writing is like a joyful release, editing is a prison where the bars are my former intentions and the abusive warden my own neuroticism. ~ Tiffany Madison You press SAVE as you glance at the sunset, just visible outside your window through flickering palm leaves. Finally! The End. … Read More
This’ll sound crazy obvious, but I promise there’s a point here: short stories tend to take place in a short amount of time. Duh. It might all take place in a coffee shop in an hour or over a day or a weekend. You might even write the … Read More
Just 500 words? 1000? Piece of cake! Or is it? Writing meaningful blog posts involves more than opening a vein and bleeding onto the page.* I know. Since 2008, I’ve been blogging about food, cooking, and culinary history. And I’ve learned a few things. Creating blog posts resembles following a … Read More
Remember the good old days when novels were serialized in newspapers and magazines? No? That was probably before your time. Serialization was popular in the nineteenth century but fell out of fashion after the 1930s. Charles Dickens published most of his novels as installments in periodicals before issuing them in … Read More
[Editor’s note: The following poem provides poets – and other writers, too – with a few tongue-in-cheek moments of levity. And truth.] The length of your poem might need adjustment … Once upon a time, poems carried the sum of human knowledge recited ’round the hearth memorized for generations … Read More
Are you stuck again with writer’s block, staring at a blank sheet of paper or an empty, blinking laptop screen? Good news! The solution is so obvious. Use your personal experiences. Write about what you know, what you’ve lived. This tact is ideal for getting inspired to finish your poem … Read More
Five hundred words. Or maybe a thousand. That’s all. The Writers Alliance of Gainesville blog needs YOU to write on topics of your choice, at least those pertaining to any aspect of writing. Share your expertise, your experience, your hard-earned knowledge about writing with your colleagues. Your name might not … Read More
Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. ~ George Orwell In 1949, George Orwell sat in … Read More
Far from being fearless, authors tend to be anxious people who are duking it out with their anxieties on the page. They don’t write despite their fear but because of it. They want to wrestle the alligator. ~ Ralph Keyes I heard them before I saw them. My … Read More
The first step toward being a writer is to hitch your unconscious mind to your writing arm. ~ Dorothea Brande Fledgling writers sometimes need an attitude adjustment. And sometimes more experienced writers do, too. Otherwise, why would bestselling author Hilary Mantel confess that she reads Dorothea Brande’s … Read More
As a writer of ghost stories, I should explain that I ventured down a deep rabbit hole recently in pursuit of the best ghost stories of the Victorian/Edwardian era: tales written by the master, medievalist scholar M. R. James. He is revered in the United Kingdom as the gold … Read More
Just write! Just do it! That’s what they say. But who are they? I’d need more than ten fingers to count all the names. But for me, one name stands out among those many pundits. And that’s Brenda Ueland. “Who?” you ask. She doesn’t have a website. No Twitter handle. … Read More
At age twenty (in 1979) my plan was to transfer to UF and study Architecture upon completion of my AA degree at SFCC. It was to be my “real job” while I wrote my novels and books of poetry. Already technically trained as a draftsman, and the entire drafting department … Read More
One of the valuable benefits of being a WAG member is the feedback we writers get from our critique pod members. The COVID-19 stay-at-home order seemed to put the kibosh on that until WAG member Ronnie Lovler suggested to members of the POW pod that they try meeting online using … Read More
Part 3 – Publishing Your Own Memoir In my past two posts, I blogged about (1) the reasons you may want to write your own memoir, as well as (2) how I asked the Navy to help me with my personal research. I also provided some simple tips and outlines to help you … Read More
Part 2 – After 30+ Years, I’m Back on the Flight Deck This is the second post of a three-part series about writing your memoir. Last week, I blogged about why you may want to write your own memoir. I also provided some simple tips, outlines, and writing prompts to help you … Read More
Part 1 – It’s Really Easy, and… What a Legacy Several years ago, I wrote and self-published a book about my four years in the Navy. It initially started out as a simple memoir. But over time, it morphed into a full-size book. I did not write the book to … Read More
When writing stories of 750 words or fewer, the writer must successfully employ the skills of compression and concision. Compression mandates economy of words, the squeezing together of story line, beginning, middle, end, story arc, number of characters, dialogue and time frame. Tightness in writing and meaningful word choice offer … Read More
All week, the weathermen said the weather would be beautiful for the weekend. Here we were, invited to join the community booth section of the 38th Annual Downtown Arts Festival in Gainesville, Florida, and we were all bundled up in hats, coats, and sweatshirts, typical Floridians shivering as we set … Read More
One of the most common pieces of advice for budding writers is to “write what you know.” But what does that actually mean? Does it mean to write about events that have happened in your life? Does it mean that you should only write about subjects which you know? Does … Read More
It was time for me to put away the dilithium crystals and bring back the old-fashioned gasoline. Recently, I started a new project. It’ made me take a look at my writing and forced me to realize that what I thought was science fiction was really just fantasy magic with … Read More
Do any of these names sound familiar? Remington, Olivetti, Royal, Smith Corona… If so, then you’re one of us old folks who learned to keyboard on a manual typewriter. It was a lot more energy-consuming than the fairy-soft touch of electronic keyboards that we all use today. The history of … Read More
Less than a year ago I had never heard of the Writer’s Alliance of Gainesville, nor had I ever heard of critique pods. Today, I can hardly imagine life without WAG and my pod membership. Shortly after my wife saw a WAG brochure at Millhopper, I eagerly signed up, paid … Read More
Writers use literary devices to enhance a story and better convey an emotion or message. They can be an effective way to make your work more compelling, add depth, or paint a clearer picture. Here are a few interesting literary devices: Anthropomorphism: Lending a human quality or emotion to something … Read More
I’ve been practicing yoga for about eight years now and, at 53, have settled into the awareness that some days I can do all the poses to some degree, while on other days, my shoulder won’t allow full extension or a cramp in my foot will pull me out of … Read More
Psychology students will remember Abraham Maslow’s theory of self-actualization. Maslow believed human physiological needs such as oxygen, food, and water must be met first, before the need for safety and security. Next comes the need for love and belonging to community. Then self-esteem or pride in achievements can be addressed. … Read More
“Not for me” is the briefest rejection I’ve received from a literary agent, but those three little words say it all. It’s all about fit. Because I lack the technical knowledge and, truth be told, the courage to self-publish, I chose to promote my novel through literary agent representation. I … Read More
Some years ago, I took an online mystery-writing class. The one helpful takeaway for me was what I’ll call the Wheel of Tension, which moves the plot along. This is not limited to mystery writing; it works for all fiction and non-fiction. The Wheel of Tension is this: A situation … Read More
Imagine a typical conflict in fiction: A wife goes on a shopping spree and spends a large portion of their money and attempts to hide it from her husband. Unfortunately for her, her husband catches her at one of the high-end stores she’s perusing. Unfortunately for him, it’s because he’s … Read More
My writing life began at age 15 when I was tapped to be the editor of my high school newspaper. Honored? Frightened is more like it. “I can’t do this,” I thought. I hadn’t the faintest idea what was expected of the editor-in-chief of our paper. Whatever it was, I … Read More
In the course of writing, we often search for the proper way to express the feelings of a character. It may be tragedy, joy, or a simple daily experience that defines the moment, but the hunt for the right word or phrase to convey that sentiment may not achieve a … Read More
You’ve probably read books on writing fiction and found most of them only marginally helpful. And if you know of one that does more, let us know. That’s what I’m about to do. I stumbled across one that does more some months ago. I almost passed it up because of … Read More
In order for you as a reviewer to critique your pod mates’ writing and be genuinely helpful to them, you need to acknowledge that the purpose of your critique is to help them become better writers. Destructive criticism has no place in that goal. But neither does a whitewash job of reviewing. … Read More
With great elation I’ve been telling people that I’ve finally “found my peeps”—that is, my people: fellow aficionados of the classic Victorian ghost story, via a Facebook page honoring Montague Rhodes James. M. R. James is better known in the United Kingdom than in the States. He was a provost … Read More
As a writer, I look forward to my weekly New Yorker. The essays are timely and beautifully written. I know that they’re accurate because the fact-checkers at the New Yorker are famously compulsive, to the despair of some contributors. The magazine is a writer’s joy. Just as appealing as the articles … Read More
As a new officer in the Writers Alliance (WAG) of Gainesville, I’m impressed with the concern of the Alliance Board that WAG members may not be getting the full benefit of their memberships. Attendance at meetings and in pods represents a modest fraction of the full roster of around 190 … Read More
I recently volunteered to be on Ran Pyle’s street team. Why? “Street Teams” was the focus at an early December Marketing Coalition meeting. During the discussion led by Skipper Hammond, members were encouraged be on a street team. If I was going to be hawking somebody’s book, I wanted to … Read More
As writers we keep learning new things all the time. While the adage “Write what you know” works well for us at the start of a project, what happens when we get out there on the literary minefield where we are uneasy about what comes next? What if we don’t … Read More
A book tour? It seemed like such a good idea. Of course, it would be lots of work. Since I’m an indie novelist, I’d have to make all the arrangements. And pay all the bills. But what the heck, why not? You only publish your debut novel once, right? So, … Read More
A few months ago, I was asked to be the next president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG). This is not only an honor, but a tremendous responsibility. Why did I accept? Because WAG has done so much for me. I don’t remember how I learned about WAG—probably from … Read More
I am particularly excited this Christmas because my latest book—of conversations with myself (and my brother)—may come out just in time for Christmas. I joked with my daughters over Thanksgiving that I was planning to give signed copies as Christmas presents. This is especially curious because of the subject embodied … Read More
Michael Straczynski, the creator of the successful television sci-fi series Babylon 5, said he would hear his characters in his head as he worked on a script. While driving around Los Angeles, he heard arguments, complaints, discussions among his characters. The words, he claimed, were not his. He wasn’t creating … Read More
You didn’t secure an agent because you thought your book was ready for submission to a publisher. You did your research in Writer’s Market and wrote a masterful cover letter to a small press. You attached a synopsis and the number of manuscript pages requested, and sent everything off by … Read More
In my fifty years of editing and writing, I’ve discovered that certain conditions put me in a more productive frame of mind than others. When the conditions aren’t ideal for me, I get distracted easily. Disarray puts me in a jumpy mood, and I don’t stay on task. A review … Read More
When my daughter was about twelve, she made a profound observation. I was struggling to write a report—couldn’t seem to get the words right, had filled several notebook pages with scratched-out words. “Writing is easy,” my daughter said. “You just put one word after another.” “Not that simple. It has … Read More
In a recent LA Times article, “Self-made label is delusional,” Ann Friedman rails against Forbes’ labeling Kylie Jenner of the Kardashian family one of the richest “self-made women.” I agree with Friedman. Jenner was born into money. Not exactly a bootstrapper. Yes, she initiated her own cosmetics business, but think … Read More
Michelangelo once said: “Trifles make perfection but perfection is no trifle.” A few small details can lead to long strides on becoming a better writer. Tried and true tenets—show don’t tell, limit adverbs, use (or don’t use) dialogue tags, active voice not passive voice—are all familiar to most … Read More
There is a long-running argument concerning character-driven vs. plot-driven writing, where the former is called literary and the latter formulaic. Note which one gets the derogatory label that plot-driven writers abhor. Despite my work being primarily character-driven, I take the position that one cannot thrive without the other. And yet, … Read More
Okay, so you thought it was hard enough to write the darned book. Now you find out that you also have to be your own publicist! PR 101: What is PR? “A strategic communications process that helps manage, protect, and enhance the reputation of an organization, its members, and its … Read More
What does it take to write a book, especially a memoir? I read a couple books on how to write a memoir, and I took Susie Baxter’s course on writing a memoir; but I have no experience on writing anyone else’s memoir. That would seem to be a strange form … Read More
For more than twenty years, I have been working on manuscripts at the same desk, sitting in front of a picture window overlooking my lovely backyard. Over the years, countless books, magazine articles, brochures, ads, and scientific reports have made their way across my desk. The writing assignments vary from … Read More
Who are these pompous pedants who preach what a writer should and should not do? They forbid one to start with a question. But I already did and I’m glad. And they say don’t begin a sentence with “but” or “and.” But I’m doing both. And I’m even more glad. … Read More
Writers sometimes ask which is better—tracking words or tracking time. A daily word count can be doable. Or ghastly. Successful authors’ quotas vary greatly.* Ernest Hemingway strove for 500 words a day. On the other hand, Michael Crichton claimed to whip out 10,000 words at one go. Many articles appear about word … Read More
What is the Oxford comma? And who cares about it? Writers, for one. Readers, too. The Oxford comma, also called the “serial comma” or “Harvard comma,” is the final comma in a series of words or phrases. It sometimes appears after the second-to-last item—as in “We had sandwiches, chips, and … Read More
E. M. Forster, in his 1927 Aspects of the Novel, applied the terms “flat” and “round” to describe fictional characters (pp. 103-166). Those true to life he considered to be “round,” while “flat” characters served only one purpose in the story. Authors create flat characters to represent a specific idea … Read More
In 2015, my 89-year-old best woman friend died unexpectedly. Concurrently, my 87-year-old gentleman friend and I had a spat about politics and stopped seeing each other. To fill the new void in my life, I joined WAG as an 86th-birthday gift to myself. It was my decision not to sit … Read More
Are you a writer? A storyteller? Congratulations. You have an incredible power. And responsibility. Neuroscientists today say that storytelling has given our species an ability more important even than opposable thumbs. Our empathy makes it possible for us to learn from hearing of another’s experience. Someone we care about is hit; we … Read More
Bacopa Literary Review This year’s Bacopa Literary Review contest submissions will be open until May 31, 2018, with a $250 prize in each of four genres: Short Story, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Prose Poetry. Every author published will also receive $25. The $3 submission fee is waived for WAG members’ first submission. We’re looking for … Read More
Do you need ideas for stories? Venture out of your comfort zone. Traveling on the back roads, I’ve found a wealth of stories begging to be told. My life changed in August, 1999, on my way home from a family reunion in Arkansas. Interstate 20 was under construction. Everywhere. After … Read More
Still deep in the editing stage of my memoir, I wonder how much advice to take and what to shrug off. Fortune smiled my way when I decided to become a WAG member in January of 2013. Then smiled even brighter when I immediately connected with a critique pod. … Read More
In writing, voice might be defined as the personality, authenticity, sincerity, energy, texture of the narrative. Voice lifts the story off the page and grabs the reader. Voice consists of the sum of the author’s conscious and unconscious thoughts, perspectives, attitudes and experiential wisdom. It is the skillful way the … Read More
I felt the energy in the auditorium shift as scattered and unfocused conversations hushed and hundreds of eyes focused on the speaker. I was a part of that crowd at a Hay House conference, listening to bestselling author Mike Dooley as he inspired an audience of mostly amateur writers. Dooley … Read More
One of WAG’s first undertakings was to form critique pods, groups of five or six writers who could meet regularly to read each other’s work and give feedback. Today, we have thirteen pods! One for children’s literature, one for poetry, one mixed genre, five fiction (primarily novels), and five nonfiction … Read More
ANACHRONISM. A neglect or falsification, whether wilfully or otherwise, of strict chronological relation. Anachronisms may be committed in a great variety of ways, e.g., in painting, by representing members of the Holy Family in the costumes of the period at which the painter lived, as in many … Read More
“Nothing cements your story, and you, in someone’s mind quite so much as hearing it straight from your mouth, read with every ounce of the passion that drove you to write it in the first place,” says Dan Holloway, novelist and performance poet. Right. But what about “performance anxiety?” You … Read More
I notice more and more—how shall I put it?—dead people have pre-written their own obituaries. This may be a morbid subject for some, but when you reach a certain age, you know what is coming and you recognize it could be any time. Any minute, really. So why not write … Read More
Hurray! You finally finished your book! You uploaded it to Createspace, maybe to Kindle, and you want to get it out to as many places as possible. How about putting it on Smashwords? What is that? According to smashwords.com: “Smashwords is the world’s largest distributor of indie eBooks. We … Read More
I was stuck. I needed something to energize my writing practice. Maybe I needed a review of the basics. Some strategies for marketing. Maybe meet a publisher or agent. Talk with others who write in my genre. At the Florida Writers Association’s conference in Altamonte Springs, October 19–21, I experienced … Read More
Join us for the November 5 WAG meeting and celebration of Bacopa Literary Review 2017, with readings from prize-winners and by local contributors. The intersection of arts and political activism are two fields defined by a shared focus of creating engagement that shifts boundaries, changes relationships and creates new paradigms … Read More
Do it with prose poetry. When my friend, Clark, sent me his pre-MFA collection of poems, I flipped through the book and flipped again, backing up, sitting down, reading in depth. Clark had written a set of lined poems that torched my imagination. In his letter to me, he said: … Read More
A prospective member approached me at one of our monthly meetings. “Are dues $36 a month? Or a year?” “A year,” I told her. At only $3 a month, she must have thought she was getting quite a bargain. She was! When WAG was founded in 2009, the dues were … Read More
. . . using behavioral insights. Writing is a set of behaviors, and all behaviors are affected by identifiable factors. By appropriately altering selected factors, we can improve our writing habits. As a behavioral scientist, I will list below ideas to improve your writing habits. Behavior is Everything We Do. … Read More
Sometimes My Muse Kicks Me to the Curb. I’ve always been a writer. And it’s been both a blessing and a curse. For a long time, I ran from it as if the Hound of Heaven were after me. When I finally gave in and submitted to the call to take up … Read More
“The book you don’t read won’t help.” — Emmanuel James “Jim” Rohm, 1930-2009. American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker. Do you remember the day you learned to read? I learned in first grade at St. John the Apostle Catholic School. “Back in the day,” kids didn’t … Read More
What’s the difference between a diary and a journal? Ask Uncle Google that question, and you’ll get dozens of different answers. Some say that a diary is more personal, while others insist that a diary records mundane events on a daily basis, while a journal is more about emotions, a … Read More
If you’re a member of one of WAG’s Critique Pods, you’ve already discovered the many benefits of sharing your work with a group. But, wait (as the commercials say), there’s more! If you’ve never tried a writers’ group, poet Bruce Niedt outlines his “7 Reasons Why You Should Be in … Read More
When I first started writing, I thought point of view meant my opinion of something. After I posted my first story on a writing website, I was quickly enlightened. A critiquer told me I jumped around in my point of view. Point of view? What was that? With a Google … Read More
At the halfway point of 2017, WAG is making headway toward goals set in January. Our first-ever Marketing Workshop is drawing near — August 5 at St Leo University. Among the many topics to be covered are book promotion, creating your web page, effective query letters, and navigating through social … Read More
and what NOT to send In my previous WAG Blog, I gave tips on how to find the right agent for your book. Now I’ll focus on what material you should send to an agent or a publisher — and what you should not send. Do you box up your … Read More
Scientists say a goldfish has a nine-second attention span. And according to a recent study mentioned in Time/Health, the average person browsing the Internet has a shorter attention span than a goldfish! Researchers say a one-second delay in the loading of a website page can decrease a user’s satisfaction by … Read More
“But we just want to write!” we wail. We writers dream of being left alone with our imagination. We desire peace and quiet in which to create our literary art, our expressions of hope, loss, joy and sorrow. We want to write our stories. Problem is, if we want people to … Read More
In an effective critique pod, every person in the small group comments on the other members’ work. That can seem overwhelming to a new writer. Even experienced journalists, I’ve learned to my amazement, can feel unqualified to criticize someone else’s writing, but an English major isn’t required. WAG’s pods are … Read More
When Susie Baxter ascended to the throne as WAG president in January 2015, she asked if someone in our memoir/creative nonfiction critique POD would relieve her of her duties as POD leader. When no one volunteered, she said she would continue doing the job. The following day, I attended our … Read More
Many writers roll their eyes at the topic of “critique.” We’ve heard the clichés about making nice. However, most writers aim for excellence and occasionally relapse into old habits. I dedicate this blog piece to a dear critique mate whose oral commentary of my partial novel amounted to “I hate … Read More
Submissions will be open from April 1 – May 31, 2017, for the eighth annual edition of Bacopa Literary Review, WAG’s international print journal. There will be one $400 prize in each of four genres: flash story, poetry, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction. WAG members can submit once without paying … Read More
With glee, you crack the spine of your brand new book. You meet a poor, unsuspecting lass going about her daily business. The next thing you know, she is confronted with a challenge far above that which she thinks she can handle. She runs away, but because of circumstances beyond … Read More
Frank Fiodalisi’s excellent February 12 WAG presentation focused on the old mantra, “Write what you know.” He aptly demonstrated the value of using your own work experience to bring credibility to your writing: e.g. verisimilitude. Or perhaps Truthiness. But what if you’re writing about a subject that is outside your … Read More
It’s another year. Time for resolutions . . . lose weight, make this year better than last, earn more money, look for that perfect mate (if you don’t have one already, and if you do, remember Valentine’s Day is fast approaching), or improve upon your existing relationship. These are but … Read More
Suppose you have a book, a novel, or a piece of nonfiction you think has commercial appeal. You know it will sell. For some reason, you just know you’ve touched a nerve and you think many people will want to read your work. If it’s fiction, you think it is … Read More
Longtime WAG member Cassie Selleck is known for her award-winning novel The Pecan Man. Originally self-published in 2012, Cassie’s tale of murder and fraught racial relations in a small Southern town captured the attention of readers along with critical praise. With The Pecan Man now being made into a film, … Read More
Need a therapist? Blood pressure high? Stress and anxiety over the top? Forget the doctor and volunteer to be considered for a position in WAG, your writers’ organization. It’s a proven fact that volunteers live longer and stay healthier, so when you see that important question on the WAG application, … Read More
Writers often have big dreams. They imagine that their work will be published and will take off, go viral, make them rich and famous, or at least famous. But can this miracle happen with self-published works? Well, sometimes. It is true that formally published works, run through an agent, accepted … Read More
Horror writer Erinn L. Kemper grew up in an isolated mill town on coastal British Columbia, Canada. From there she moved to Victoria, BC, to study philosophy at university. Over the years she’s worked as an eye glasses repair person, fish farmer, cabinet maker, parks department laborer, small museum staff, book … Read More
I’ve been writing my memoir for over three years now, and, as I’ve heard others say after this amount of time, I’m getting pretty sick of it. I read what I’ve written over and over, making corrections, adding new thoughts and stories and memories, rearranging things so they make more … Read More
If you’ve wondered about the name of WAG’s literary journal, the Bacopa is a genus of aquatic plants, annuals and perennials that grow worldwide in tropical/sub-tropical areas, including north central Florida. Some have stems low to the ground; others grow tall; blossom colors range from white to blue or even … Read More
In the middle of writing your best paragraph of the day, the dryer buzzes, the doorbell rings, the dog barks, and shouts of “Mom, where is my backpack?” emanate from another room. Wouldn’t it be grand to run away for some uninterrupted time to write? A writers’ retreat offers … Read More
An acrostic poem is defined as a poem in which the first or last letter of each line when read vertically will spell out a word, phrase, or name. Take a look at the following poem. What secret does it hide? A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky by Lewis Carroll … Read More
When I decided to publish my memoir, Dear Oprah: How I Beat Cancer and Learned to Love Daytime TV, I sent the manuscript to a few agents who expressed interest. But many of them said a book on cancer would be a tough sell. And even if the book got … Read More
If you’re a writer facing down writer’s block, few things are scarier than staring at a blank Word file evocatively titled “Document1.” You sit, hands poised on (or somewhere near) your keyboard, wondering why your muse has gone AWOL while picturing every other writer acquaintance of yours typing away, creative … Read More
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in series of posts by blogger Mary Bast on Deepening Character Descriptions. Past posts: Enneagram I, Enneagram II, and Enneagram III. Knowing Enneagram personality styles can help deepen character descriptions in two key ways—being aware of (1) the range of characteristic responses and (2) … Read More
Let’s cast our writing in cinematic terms. The reader’s “mind’s eye” is the screen. Your words are the camera, defining scenes, controlling distance from the subject, focus, lighting, and angles. I’ll address two “camera” concepts: I. Physical Distance and II. Emotional Distance. Then I’ll close with III. A Combination Example. … Read More
Are you ever too old to start writing? I thought about that when a neighbor asked me, “Am I too old to learn to play the guitar?” I had just read an article in The Classical Guitar Corner on exactly that subject. My answer was, “Absolutely not!” The same thing … Read More
The Writers Alliance of Gainesville has grown from a handful of people to an alliance of more than 160 members. WAG was founded in early 2009 after Wendy Thornton and the late Kal Rosenberg put their heads together and decided Gainesville needed an organization of writers who would promote, encourage, … Read More
Remember how hard it was to cook your first holiday dinner? How about your first bike ride? Or maybe having your first baby? Whew, that was hard! If this is your first time writing memoir, it is right up there with your other firsts. Don’t be fooled by all that … Read More
Flash nonfiction brings into question the truth of a story, its creative distortion, and the writing down to the best of one’s memory and ability the facts of a story. Just as each witness to a crime remembers the event with varying perspectives, so do we remember or report a … Read More
The first time a friend asked me what she could do to support me in my writing, my answer was incoherent. I was so surprised, I stood there with my mouth hanging open, struggling to process what the question meant. Since that day—many years ago—I’ve come up with a better … Read More
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of posts by blogger Mary Bast on Deepening Character Descriptions. While searching for characters that exemplify the Helper personality (Enneagram Style Two), I realized even talented writers don’t always fully explore the motivations of their characters, however skillful their descriptions. As … Read More
You’ve probably heard the old saying “a doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient.” Similarly, writers who act as their own editors risk really bad editing, for the same reason: a dangerous lack of objectivity (writers tend to either think their creations are utterly, flawlessly brilliant or … Read More
If you ask an amateur writer, “Why aren’t you writing?” the most common excuse is “I want to write, but I just can’t find the time!” This is the bottom line: You will never find time to write. You have to make time. According to author Kathleen McCleary in a … Read More
When you first start the program known as NaNoWriMo, you may think 30 days is a long time. You may think writing 50,000 words in that amount of time is doable. After all, that’s only 1,666.667 words per day. Maybe you’re already writing 2,000 words per day now. Good for you, … Read More
I started writing my first blog about five years ago. The impetus occurred during a writing class I was taking when the instructor asked, “Do you know the difference between a diary, a journal, and a blog?” My definitions were simple. A diary is personal, for my eyes only. A … Read More
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of posts by blogger Mary Bast on Deepening Character Descriptions. Being the boss’s secretary gave Isabelle Goodrow a status different from the other women in the room, but she was different anyway. For example, she was impeccably dressed; even in … Read More
There’s no better – or cheaper – way to improve your writing and your motivation than by joining a good writing group. If you’re lucky enough to find a group that fits your personality and writing style, you’ll have a built-in “mastermind group” for moral support, technique and style tips, … Read More
I just finished a major draft of At World’s Edge, a historical novel set in the Viking era. Putting words together in sentences and paragraphs was easy. Sitting at my desk and facing the blank page, however, was brutal. I learned a great deal about maintaining motivation to finish a … Read More
Editor’s Note: This is the second in an occasional series on NaNoWriMo. Last week, Annie Thomas wrote about her approach to the writing challenge. I’m a loser. Hard to admit, but true. In November 2014, I joined NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, which is, according to the website, “a fun, … Read More
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of posts on National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I first heard about NaNoWriMo in late October of 2010. I had been toying with the idea of writing a novel, but the task seemed overwhelming. My background as a writer was in … Read More
Writing the lyric essay offers the author a frolic in the pool of memoir, biography, poetry and personal essay mixed with a sprinkling of experimental. Sound confusing? It can be. I am currently learning to write lyric essay and often trip over my fiction background in presenting my “truth” with … Read More
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of posts by blogger Mary Bast on Deepening Character Descriptions. In Iris Murdoch’s novel The Green Knight, Clement considers the qualities of Louise Anderson, whom he’s loved from afar: “. . . she instinctively made all things better, speaking no evil, … Read More
I’m a beginning writer. Again. I have no idea what to do. After a career as an elementary school teacher and a thirty-year hiatus, I started writing again – a novel of all things. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Years ago, one of my … Read More
I’m one of those writers whose bio could start out like this: “Robin Ingle has been writing since she could hold a pencil.” I’ve put in the necessary learning to satisfy the recently-debunked ten-thousand-hour rule. Now that I’ve nearly completed a novel, I’d like to share a few things that … Read More
For most writers, the actual writing part of developing a manuscript – outlining, first draft, re-writing and critiquing – is the fun and creative part of telling stories. But storytellers need audiences, need receptive listeners, and publishing venues, and that’s where promoting your book becomes a necessity. So you must … Read More
The publishing industry is changing faster than most people can keep up. As quickly as you decide what to do with your manuscript, something changes, and you end up looking in a different direction. But for those who want to try publishing the old-fashioned way, through a legitimate publisher, sponsored … Read More
Since my first novel, The Pecan Man, a self-published work of Southern fiction, has been selling well enough to support me as a writer, I am often asked what the secret to my success is and if I will share my marketing strategy to achieve those results. Here’s the thing: … Read More
Are you the rare person who’s never nervous when giving a book talk? If so, be grateful. Most people have some version of performance anxiety when promoting their books. If you’re one of those, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone and you can overcome your stage fright. Nicole Kidman has … Read More
I was once in the world’s worst writing group. The group’s leader was a pleasant guy, an editor at a prominent local publication, but he was burdened with the world’s worst case of writer’s block. “I really want to write,” he’d say every week. “But I’m not ready to start … Read More
It is easy to be a travel writer, for these days there are thousands of outlets for your message and plenty of helpful web sites. In truth however, there are very few good travel writers, because there are very few outlets for honest travel writing. Travel writing is not different … Read More
So you want to start a writer’s blog. I hear this from a lot of writers who have yet to take the leap into blogging. They want to know: Can they really set up a blog by themselves with no technical training? I tell them to relax. You don’t have … Read More
Some years ago, the literary world was shocked when a recipient of the annual Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, Brad Vice, was accused of plagiarizing in his winning collection, The Bear Bryant Funeral Train. The story of Vice’s rise and fall, which echoes the life of charming con artist … Read More
I’m procrastinating. Again. I should be writing. I’m not. I’m standing in front of the refrigerator looking for something to eat even though I’m not really hungry. I’ll head back to the computer and play a game or two of solitaire. It’s much easier than staring at the blank Word … Read More
If you’re a writer, you’ve had this experience: You get an e-mail from a journal or publisher you really, really thought was just the right match for your work. With trembling fingers, you click the message open – and find something that reads like this: “Dear Felicia, Thank you for … Read More
While many people write about their life experiences, others hesitate, thinking the task too overwhelming. But that’s the beauty of memoir. You don’t have to cover your entire life. In my memoir workshops, I ask participants to write down these questions: 1. What one experience in my life am I … Read More
The Ant Farm A prose poem by Russell Edson In spite of Columbus the world collapses and goes flat again. The sky is a bell jar where a child in another scale watches his ant farm. When the bored child yawns two thousand years pass. Someday we have crashed to … Read More
On February 10, 2013, I went to my first Writers Alliance of Gainesville presentation at the Millhopper Library. I know this because, like many of you, I write a blog — actually, a couple. This is what I wrote in one on February 12, 2013. “The Writers’ Group meeting on … Read More
“Writing can save your life,” said Samantha Shad, screenwriter, attorney, teacher, in a recent presentation at a Florida Writers Association mini-conference. For her, writing became a way to deal with a serious ethical dilemma she faced in her early legal career. This thing nagged at her until she finally was … Read More
When WAG webmaster Robin Ingle “suggested” that I, as WAG President, write one of the first blog posts, I hesitated. But then I shouted, “Okay! Okay! Okay! I’ll do it!” and promised never to say a word about the arm twisting. True to my word, I have not opened my … Read More
Welcome to the new, improved website of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville! I’m so pleased that you have navigated to our site, and I want you to feel at home. A redesign of WAG’s website was Susie Baxter’s top priority when she became our new president in January 2015. “The … Read More