Photographs that Inspire

I often use photographs for inspiration. Sometimes they inspire a whole plot, other times just a word or two. I see my story as a series of images that provoke an emotion in me, so it makes sense that images will inspire.

Here are a collection of images that helped inspire my last ms.

My Excuse Monday

Poking fun at the but in all of us...

Reprinted with permission of Sam Morrison

Read and Re-Read

I recently read a blog where the author stated the worst crime over summer was for someone to say they re-read a book. What the...? Apparently, to re-read is to admit to being arrogant, narrow-minded or dim.

Well, I guess I must be all three.

I love to re-read. To slip into a worn favourite is like slipping on your old slippers. Cosy, warm and comfortable. I have books I have been re-reading for over 20 years - and I'm still not tired of them.

When I'm published I love to think that there might be readers out there who want to re-read my work. That would be the ultimate compliment.

My Excuse Monday

Poking fun at the but in all of us...

Reprinted with permission of Sam Morrison

Dilly Dallying

Goal number 6 for this writing year was to enter RWA's First Kiss competition. I was going to, absolutely, definitely... and then I started editing. The criteria for this contest is 1 scene with a maximum count of 1,500 words. Uh, oh. Here was my problem. You see, THAT scene was well over the 1,500 word limit. So I started cutting, 100, 150, 220 the words began to disappear. But the more I cut, the harder it got to cut them. Until I had just 120 words to still chop.

No more. I couldn't do it. Into the 'too hard' basket it went.

Until one of my fellow Bootcats asked if I was still entering - I had been, then I hadn't been she said. What was I doing?

Thinking about that made me feel guilty. After all, it was a goal for this year, and I knew I'd feel bad if I didn't achieve it, but feel fantastic if I did. So I dragged that scene back out and slashed ruthlessly: 1,498 words. I did it.

My entry is going in. How well it does, we'll see. But regardless, I feel good.

My Excuse Monday

Poking fun at the but in all of us...

Reprinted with permission of Sam Morrison

A New Story

Desire author Paula Roe is embarking on an ambitious weekly blog post... Write a Novel in 3 Months. She's going to take us step-by-step through her process of writing a manuscript, with the idea that if we follow along we'll have one too!

I'm ready to start a new ms. Yes, I'm still working on rewrites and edits on my last ms, but this will help keep me balanced.

I've reset my word count meter on the right of my blog to zero (it had been long neglected anyway), and have completed the week 1 elements Paula listed. And edited them, given a bit more of a tweak, rewritten and... well, you get the picture.

I'll try and update my progress here as I go. Wish me luck *grin*.

My Excuse Monday

Poking fun at the but in all of us...

Reprinted with permission of Sam Morrison