The Road Less Written
Writers helping writers on the path to excellence
Revision Techniques Part 1: Openings
As we all know, writing is rewriting. It is with this in mind that I plan on writing several posts here on the topic of revision. When revising we go through and find areas that need cutting or expansion, to tie up loose threads, create setups and payoffs, and any...
Proofreading Skills or Lack Thereof
Recently, a professional editor edited my manuscript. His work underscored a fact I’ve already faced. I suck at proofreading. (Before you gleefully start looking for errors, I have to confess that John and/or Justin look over my posts before I publish them.) One...
Writer’s Block and Dee Wallace: An Indirect Personal Link?
While in the throes of my most recent bout of writer’s block, I made the following observations: Dee Wallace is disproportionately represented in the number of movies we keep on hand at our vacation cabin. I have a difficult time wrapping up conversations. Every time...
WOMEN WRITING IN THE REDWOODS
This year I had a wonderful time at the San Francisco Writers Conference and am committed to returning next year. It was a weekend full of great dinners, wonderful people, and amazing discussions on the power of prose. A very valuable aspect of attending these events...
The Veterans Writing Project: An Interview with Ron Capps
Many veterans find they need to write, and it makes sense. Men and women of the armed forces go through several intense years. Whether it was serving time overseas or just working their butts off on the home turf, they go through a lot to keep America safe. It is no...
Getting Published: Consider Small Publishing Houses
For the new or aspiring author, publishing options can be boggling. The debate isn’t limited to self-publishing versus traditional publishing. If you choose to go the traditional publishing route, you have to decide whether or not you need (or want) an agent and which...
The Final Word – Knowing When to End a Story
Six years...and that's not counting the revisions. Entire residential subdivisions have sprung up around you in less time. New sections of interstate have been constructed. National monuments refaced. Six years ago, you helped elect a new President and have since come...
First Novels: An Interview with Kelly Ann Jacobson
While studying the craft of writing at the Johns Hopkins University, I had the pleasure of meeting many soon to be published authors. They were hungry for the craft, ready to show the world what they can create with mere words on the page. One of my classmates, an...
Anywhere Is – Part II: The Lights of Africa
The man sitting across the aisle from me openly peruses a Penthouse, which, for some reason, no one seems to take note of but me. I’m cradling a coffee and watching the day gather in the east. The image of my face appears in the window, ghostlike against...
Fünfundfünfzig and a Smile
In the mid-eighties, my dad traveled to Germany for a business trip. With a daughter living in Germany, he was determined to immerse himself in the culture and interact with Europeans every chance he got. He was like a child in a candy shop. Everything was new and...
Anywhere Is – Part I: The Bear and the Madrona Tree
The middle-aged woman with the raccoon mascara sidles closer. Dragging from a slender cigarette, she mentions casually that she was the inspiration for Gretchen. “You know,” she says with a dusky voice that pierces the smoke in this place, “…James Michener?” She says...
Books on Writing: Are They Helpful?
To the fiction author, the answer is of course that books on writing are extremely helpful. There are some great books out there, and many of you may be asking why I think this is even a question. I raise it because in the screenwriting world there are many...
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