Category: writing advice

  • Being a Bag Lady

    Being a Bag Lady

    Tony Hillerman once said, “A writer is like a bag lady going through life with a sack and a pointed stick, collecting stuff.” Sitting next to me is a pile of papers, clamped with one of those binder clips — my version of the pointed stick. I confess: it’s not…

  • The Value of Writing Groups

    Last December I posted about two different types of writing groups. That brief overview was related to a couple of columns I wrote for a private writing group’s newsletter. Even then, I didn’t feel as though I’d said all I wanted to on the subject. Result? An expanded how-to guide,…

  • Writing and Geometry

    Oh, but they DO have a lot in common! I was reading Ava Jae’s great post, “You Don’t Have to Get It Right the First Time” and decided it was time to post about the writing process after a long spell without mentioning it. In her post, Ava lists the…

  • Author Interview: E. Michael Helms

    So many questions for E. Michael Helms, author of two novels and several nonfiction works! I sent out word I was willing to read and offer reviews of mysteries, and he was one of the writers who responded. I confess I’d started another book by a different author, one that…

  • Is a Writing Group a Waste of Your Time?

    Quick answer: they can be. Or not. Depends. Don’t you love answers like those?!? But seriously. Much does depend on what the group’s purpose and who’s attending it. Purpose Though types of writing groups vary, two primary categories are critique groups and creative groups. Critique Groups There’s no one way…