Category Archives: Writing

Revision, Writing, and Rewriting

I’m in the process of revising my first novel, Prince of Herongarde. I’ve already written a complete first draft, and then gone through and revised it, at which point, I found a bunch of beta-readers and sent it out.

Now I’m looking at it again, trying to incorporate what my readers suggested and fixing things up because I’ve learned I have some bad writing habits. For example, I suffer from ‘white room’ writing, in which there is absolutely no description of the environment in which the characters are acting. I also am guilty of ‘telling’ and not ‘showing.’ Continue reading “Revision, Writing, and Rewriting”

Mental Health Days

My appointment at the university where I work is a strange one. I’m not faculty. My title is not professor. But I do most of the same things that professors have to do: I teach, do research, write papers, submit grant proposals. Things I don’t have to do are: advise graduate students, go to faculty meetings, and worry about getting enough grant money and publications to get tenure.Continue reading “Mental Health Days”

Tap-tap-tap

Here is my response to yesterday’s challenge over at the RocNaNo blog. Do you have a pet peeve?

—–

Tap-tap-tap.

Glibert leaned closer to the book. It was hard to make out the text in the fire light. He brought a candle closer. “Those who bear the Mark, must ever give their life in service of their King,” he read aloud.  He slid his finger down the text, looking for the line he needed.

Tappa-tap-tap.
Continue reading “Tap-tap-tap”

Comet West

This is my response to today’s Challenge over at the RocNaNo blog. The challenge is to use this note (found in a used astronomy book we recently purchased) to set the stage for a novel.

A note stuck into an astronomy book. It reads: "Comet West - March 5, 1976 5:32 A.M. There appeared at the top of the window a very brilliant light and in the instant that it took me to focus, right before me was a brilliantly glowing ball but of a hazy shape. greenish in color and indescribably bright. It seemed to wobble a little which must have been its revolutions and moved with a slightly downward curve then was suddenly gone. Sky was overcast for a next few days."
A note stuck into an astronomy book. It reads:
“Comet West – March 5, 1976
5:32 A.M.
There appeared at the top of the window a very brilliant light and in the instant that it took me to focus, right before me was a brilliantly glowing ball but of a hazy shape. greenish in color and indescribably bright. It seemed to wobble a little which must have been its revolutions and moved with a slightly downward curve then was suddenly gone. Sky was overcast for a next few days.”

Continue reading “Comet West”

Stink Bug – Chapter 9

The entertainment went on like this for nearly an hour. Sometimes only one Vrr’ak’l would be performing, sometimes as many as ten were leaping and flipping in the air in a mad flutter of feathers and claws. It was probably one of the most amazing things I had ever seen.

I found myself nuzzling into K’eel’s feathers as the evening’s chill set in. She was clucking softly, and grooming W’oo’woo who was snuggled in on her other side. I shuddered from the cold, drawing K’eel’s attention.Continue reading “Stink Bug – Chapter 9”

Couch Potato

I encourage all you readers to take a moment and check out the new RocNaNo blog. We post daily with writing prompts and tips, and the occasional bit of our own writing.

Today’s challenge I posted myself. The challenge is to write a story based upon this photo of my cat Charlie, who’s been on my mind a lot lately.

Charlie reclining on the couch.

Here’s my answer to the challenge:Continue reading “Couch Potato”

Mephitic

I’m part of a Facebook group associated with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The group is all the WriMos from the Rochester, New York region. NaNoWriMo is a November thing, but writers write year-round. For fun, we’ll occasionally challenge each other with writing prompts.

This prompt was to write something involving TPS reports. You know, those hideous things from the movie Office Space. We later discussed the wonderful word “Mephitic.” In the end, I decided that I needed to write a scene involving the words “mephitic” and “malarkey,” TPS reports, and an unexpected visit from Mephitis mephitis. Let’s see if it can be done.Continue reading “Mephitic”