The Girdle of Melian

writing habits! Writing schedules! I've posted about these a few times before: A writing self-assessment from 2009 : "1. Writing location. I don't have one. This either results in no words written or, on days when my willpower is actually raring to go, very early mornings at the coffee shop. Obviously, that sort of schedule doesn't stay in place long. I've got to think of a new writing location; a stable, no-distractions time and place. This'll be my new year's resolution. 2. I promise to get writing done at work and never do it. I've decided to stop beating myself over the head with this. Spanish classes, lunch with my mom, errands and knitting are more than enough for lunch breaks. Better to find a location (see #1) that's only about the writing. 3. I must remember that even a little writing is better than none. So what if it's just a paragraph? The idea is to start; it usually leads to more. No more putting off my own writing to read someon...

inds! Winds of Lac Leman/Lake Geneva I love learning the names of the winds around here. The bise is the one that's the coldest, coing straight over the Alps. I few of the others are detailed in this sheet from Mirabaud . I had some other links, but I cut the information from my blog draft and went to paste it in here, and it had disappeared into the Microsoft ether. Back up everything, whenever you can! We recently visited the Leman museum, where they had a whole panel devoted to the winds. They also had a panel about Deep Purple! The history of Smoke on the Water ... Mini ROW80 update! I've been trying to fix my short story to enter the Surrey International Writers' Conference contest , and I printed the latest version of Captive of the Sea , to see if I can get some edits done on paper... Are there any special winds where you are?

lways versus ever About a decade ago, I shared some of my writing habits in an Always/Never list. The 2011 version: In my writing, I Always: - use pen and paper for the first draft - have characters glance at each other - repeat "and then" all over the place - use the word "wondered" - sprinkle meaningless modifiers (small, big, large, tiny, etc.) willy nilly I Never: - know the names of secondary characters until the third draft or so - keep all the scenes I write (a lot end up as gangplanks or backstory, saved in draft folders) - add dialogue tags in the first draft (the margin is always filled with notes like "but what are they doing??") - write a story set in modern times - use contractions. Everyone's so formal all the time! I have to remind myself to be more casual in dialogue. Things sure change! I don't do many of those things anymore. Here's the 2020 version: In my writing, I Always: - type the first draft o...

oday is Insecure Writer's Support Group Day! Ths month's question: “Although I have written a short story collection, the form found me and not the other way around. Don’t write short stories, novels or poems. Just write your truth and your stories will mold into the shapes they need to be.” Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn’t planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance? I have! I never thought I'd be writing contemporary stories, and suddenly, during the past few NaNoWriMos, I've written four of them! Today is also a blog hop day for Chrys Fey ! Catch the sparks you need to conquer writer’s block, depression, and burnout! When Chrys Fey shared her story about depression and burnout, it struck a chord with other writers. That put into perspective for her how desperate writers are to hear they aren’t alone. Many creative types experience these challenges, battling to recover. Let Keep Writing ...