It's Friday! Hooray! That means another First Page Friday and this one includes examples from some of my favorite books and some that I want to read now. Big thanks to William and Heidi for all their efforts this week. If you would like your first page critiqued, follow the submission guidelines in the sidebar. See you next week!The EntryNymph’s Heartby William F. Rombola2005 The pavement was a scab covering a wound that wouldn’t heal. All his life, Jack had longed to scratch it, to peel up the layers, and expose the malignant...
Friday, 29 March 2013
Thursday, 28 March 2013
So yesterday my amazing writer friend Jordan McCollum posted on her blog about "Tension Check" and she included a link to a scene chart. As I looked it over, and read her reasons for using it (she's a lot more organized writer than I am and I know I'll never keep up) but in this case I decided I was going to use it. As a suspense writer, I want to keep my tension building throughout the book, but I also want that balanced with believability and character growth. It's a tall order to fill. Yet, even just doing the scene chart with...
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
So, here I am, up way too late working on the edits for my new book. I am so stoked about this book (does anyone say stoked anymore?) My son is home and we're catching him up on Castle at the same time, so, you know, it's a party.Earlier this evening (welp, it's after midnight, so yesterday) I went to my son's spring recital and while I was sitting there waiting for it to start I thought of a secondary storyline I could add to the book that would really give it some depth and flesh out a main character. Can I just tell you how...
Talk about divided loyalties! My BYU team was playing the last five minutes of their second-round NIT tournament game against Mercer and it's time for my shows. What do I watch? Finish the game? Castle? Hawaii Five-O?What would you do if you had five of your sons sitting on the couch glued to the game? Yeah. We finished the game. But, as soon as BYU won we turned it to Castle. Thank goodness for DVR, that's all I can say.Castle was really an ensemble show last night. We had the Beckett/Castle...
Monday, 25 March 2013
I got a late start reading this book, but that's okay, because it ended up being a book that I couldn't put down. I lost sleep trying to finish it, because I couldn't decide who I thought was the bad guy!Poaching Daisies by Carole Warburton is a mystery that takes place in Yellowstone National Park. She has some really great characters---environmentalists, gun-lovers, cute park rangers, and a villain that will surprise you. I loved...
Friday, 22 March 2013
This week's entry had an interesting opening from Wikipedia. I couldn't wait to see what Ms. Shreditor said about it.Thank you to Jane and Ms. Shreditor for their time and effort. As always, it is much appreciated. See you next week!The EntryA Little Hair of the Dogby Jane McBride“Hair of the dog is a colloquial expression…predominantly used to refer to alcohol that is consumed with the aim of lessening the effects of a hangover. The expression originally referred to a method of treatment of a rabid dog bite by placing hair from...
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Today I am taking an informal poll of my readers: How much profanity has to be in a book before you will stop reading it? And what are your reasons?For example, are you the type of reader that likes no profanity in a book?Do you mind a damn or hell every now and then? Do you skim over profanity?Is profanity not a deal-breaker for you at all in books?For me, I prefer no profanity at all, but I don't mind a hell or damn every now and then, particularly if it's the villain. But I'm curious at to where other readers draw the line.And...
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Well, it's been another productive week in spite of real life creeping in. I wrote 7401 words and finished the ending. It's still pretty rough, but I have a great critique group and patient beta readers to help me smooth it out. I'm so excited to be closing in on having this thing DONE! I can't even tell you how great it felt to write the epilogue and see the end of the story on paper. (Or computer screen as the case may be.)How did you do this we...
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Last night's Castle had some scary moments for me. I don't like "evil" elements in movies, television, or books and the whole premise of last night's show was just creepy. Honestly, I had to fast-forward a bit at the end because it was a bit too much to watch while I'm alone in a dark room right before I go to bed. I don't want to have nightmares and you all know I'm a scaredy-cat. But I did like the lighter moments between Perlmutter (when he called Rick Defective Castle I laughed.) But the funniest moment was when...
So, yesterday, while I was at my son's bedside, I was reading a book called The Power of Starting Something Stupid by Richie Norton. It's a quick read, but it's really quite profound. The author starts out by telling about Gavin, his 21 year old brother-in-law who passes away in his sleep. He then talks about his son Gavin who also loses his young life. Believe me, reading that, while in a hospital waiting for my son...
Monday, 18 March 2013
I apologize to all of my loyal readers for not posting today. This is the first day in two and a half years I haven't posted. (Although, it's not quite midnight, so technically I am posting I guess.) I did have a wonderful book review to post, but I was at the hospital with my son for eight hours today and even though I was just sitting at his bedside, I am exhausted and just cannot get up any oomph to post my review. I hope you will all bear with me and come back tomorrow to read it. I know it will make more sense and be...
Friday, 15 March 2013
I am so glad today is Friday because that means another First Page Friday to read. I always learn so much and hope it's helpful to you, too. Thank you to Ellise and Ms. Shreditor for their time and effort. If you would like your first page critiqued by a national editor, please see the sidebar for instructions.See you next week!The EntryThe Governessby Ellise WeaverJust yesterday, Miss Carly Blakemore had arrived at Huntington Manor, and already she hated it. Why must I have chosen this post above all others! Because there had...
Thursday, 14 March 2013
(I saw that pic going around Facebook and thought it was so funny! And so true . . .)As you all know I have eight children and I've learned a few things along the way about being a writer and a mom.1. Sometimes my best story ideas come while I'm playing Barbies or cowboys with my little kids. So take the time to play with them. Then you can act out the plot with the Barbie and cowboy and the kids think it's a fun new game.2. Don't...
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Hello, my fine bloggy friends. Why am I so happy today you ask? Because I added just over 14,000 words to my manuscript and I'm *thisclose* to writing those magic words THE END. I am so very happy because I love this story and getting over that hump made all the difference. The muse has been very kind to me this past week.How did you do this week?...
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
There was no Castle last night and the repeat of Hawaii Five-O was one of my least favorite episodes, so I read a book instead. And it was a very good book that I practically read in one sitting, so I definitely want to share my find with you.Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson starts out with two businesswomen/roommates who are trying to start a web version of The Bachelor but with a twist---it's a Mormon bachelor and it's to help jump-start...
Monday, 11 March 2013
Tour Schedule(As you can see, I'm part of the blog tour for Baked Alaska, so go enter the contest, and take a peek at what other bloggers are saying about Baked Alaska,)This book is another home run for Josi Kilpack in her Sadie Hofmiller series. I love how Sadie just seems to fall into these things in an organic way. Her family is funny and quirky and still has issues, and her boyfriend is always taking what happens to her in stride,...
Friday, 8 March 2013
I'm so glad Friday is here because it's time for First Page Friday!Thanks to Ms. Shreditor for her critique and to Brienne for being brave enough to submit. If you would like your first page critiqued, please follow the guidelines in the sidebar. See you next week!The EntryThe Story Of Bean by Brienne E. WrightA new century had begun and on its dawning Bean was born.Outside was cold and the wind bit at the flesh, but inside the tiny, barely two room hut, Michael was sweating. Being the ship’s engineer and managing the furnaces,...
Thursday, 7 March 2013
You will be happy to know that I had a breakthrough last night. I was revising the chapters and plodding along with my outline when it suddenly hit me.The main character is talking throughout the book about this major event in his life that has really affected him, but he only talks about it. What if I redid the first chapter and we experience that event with him? Then we can be as affected as he is, and his later interactions and difficulty getting through it are that much more impactful on us as readers as well. It was like...
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Well, last week I told you all about my plotting problems. This week hasn't been much better. I'm having a hard time sitting down and really focusing, mostly because I've had a lot of mom things on my plate, but partly because my motivation is pretty low right now. Sometimes being a writer is hard. It requires energy that can be hard to find. Yet, at other times, I can hardly contain my excitement and the words just flow. If only I could tap into that second one more often. I think about it a lot, but maybe I...
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Since I hadn't seen the first showing of last night's repeat of Hawaii Five-O, I was glad they'd given it another run. It was tense with Chin getting kidnapped by a creepy Baldwin brother. Although the first scene was awesome with both Danny and Steve punching the Baldwin brother in the face. Who hasn't wanted to do that a time or two?Then we have our Romeo and Juliet romance with Kono and her bad boy boyfriend. You knew it was going to come down to that---where she sneaks around to see what nefarious things he's really...
Monday, 4 March 2013
I'm sorry I haven't posted before now. I've had my nose buried in a book. Tres Leches cupcakes stars my favorite Josi Kilpack heroine, Sadie Hofmiller and her latest adventure in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sadie is still in hiding from a threat in Boston (I missed a book, so I'm not sure what that is! I need to go back and read that one.) She takes a job on an archaeological dig as a BLM informant. Everything is going along...
Friday, 1 March 2013
I am so excited today. Meridian Magazine posted a review I did of Jennie Hansen's new book, Where the River Once Flowed! You can check it out here I love doing reviews, and it is so nice to have it in a magazine like Meridian that has a wide audience. So, I'm celebrating today for sure.Today's submission to First Page Friday got some great compliments as well as some sound advice from Ms. Shreditor in their critique. If you would like your first page critiqued, submit your double-spaced 12 pt. font first page to juliecoulterbellon@gmail.com...
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