A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author

Five Links…6/14/19

Loleta Abi

Writing:

1. http://booksbywomen.org/your-writing-group-you-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-what-can-be-a-challenging-experience/ “Writing fiction is a solitary pursuit. The writers of Saturday Night Live might have great craic (“craic” being the Irish word for “fun”) aiming paper airplanes across the table, and end up with memorable and quirky sketches, but it doesn’t work for us novelists. We must work alone.

Thus, we need to pause long enough to get feedback on what we produce: to see our work through objective eyes, in order to see it more clearly through our own. Yes, there are periods when any input is a distraction, but over the course of a career, almost everyone needs intelligent advice, be it in a classroom, or simply an agreement with a partner to exchange 500 words a day.

As a longtime veteran (I might even say, “survivor”) of a number of these situations, as both student and instructor, I flatter myself that I have some suggestions (“wisdom” is such a pompous term) regarding how to make the most of them.”

2. https://whenangelsfly.net/2019/06/08/how-to-deal-with-your-editors-notes-by-silvia-crompton-chris-the-story-reading-apes-blog/ “Ah, the sweet relief of writing the final sentence of your book! All the late nights, the reams of research and the meticulous plotting are over – finished at last.

But then, like a dark cloud on the horizon, an editor appears, red pen in hand (or MacBook under arm), to go through every single word of the manuscript and tell you what’s wrong with it. And you or your publisher are actually expected to pay for this so-called service?”

3. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/writing-better-character-goals/ “Quick. Tell me what your characters want.

Maybe you have an immediate answer. Maybe your protagonist wants to save the world, survive, or live happily ever after.

While those are all legit goals that have powered hundreds of good stories, what I’m talking about is what your characters want.”

4. https://writersinthestormblog.com/2019/06/5-tips-from-gilmore-girls-for-writing-great-dialogue/ “

5. https://killzoneblog.com/2019/06/sabbatical.html “When my kids were ten and three years old, I ran away from home for a week. Given all the pre-trip planning, list-making, grandparent arrivals, and pantry-stocking, it might have looked like I was about to take a solo vacation, but appearances can be deceiving. Inside, I was holding my breath, telling myself I could get it all done, hold out until the day I would pack up the ridiculously large, white, American sedan I’d rented, and cruise onto the highway, the “Girls Singing for Your Trip” mixtape cd my bff had made me cranked up on the stereo. The first song was Vacation by The Go-Go’s [sic]. The second was Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles. By the time I was actually in the car, blowing bye-bye kisses to the kids, I felt like a teenage bandit who’d stolen Grandma’s Buick and could only count on a few hours of freedom before the cops pulled me over and ushered me home.”

Research & Fun Bits:

1. http://whenangelsfly.net/2019/06/09/6-tips-for-adding-life-to-your-locations-nicholas-c-rossis/ “One of my favorite writing resources, Mythic Scribes, recently shared some great tips on using your locations to bring your story to life. Here is my summary. As always, you are encouraged to check out the original post for more. The whole point they are making is that by giving your readers a chance to […]”

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Some Things More Serious:

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Teaser Fiction & Poetry:

1. https://colleenchesebro.com/2019/06/09/whos-ready-to-write-some-poetry/ “For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in one of the forms defined below. Click on the link to learn about each type:”

2. http://butismileanyway.com/2019/06/09/spideys-serene-sunday-part-224-dreams/

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Book Reviews, Cover Reveals, & Author Interviews:

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