I was a huge fan of cozy mysteries long before I ever sat down to write one. What exactly are cozy mysteries and how does one go about writing one? Please pop over to DJs Krimiblog today, where I’m visiting my Danish friend, Dorte and posting “How to Cook Up a Cozy.”
Plus—my July 6th release is just weeks away! Click here for my book release contest. Entering is easy. :)
Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter for the past week. I’m setting this up as a Sunday installment on Mystery Writing is Murder. If you’re looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.
Writers Conferences: The Spell Called Networking– http://dld.bz/gyzj
Thinking Small without Guilt: Setting Your Minimum Goal Standards– http://dld.bz/gyzg
Why you shouldn’t send an agent a bound book w/ an ISBN as a submission: http://dld.bz/gwn2
Enough with the Eyebrows: Showing Emotion– http://dld.bz/gMvS
Best articles this week for writers @4KidLit: http://dld.bz/gMBx
Social Media and Your (Lack of) Privacy– http://dld.bz/gwnz
Are You Too Lazy to Write Less? http://dld.bz/gwnt
Questions that authors are never asked (Guardian): http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/29/writers-hay-questions-never-asked
Coping with rejection: http://dld.bz/gwnh
Privileging the Pretty– http://dld.bz/gwnb
How to Go to Bed With the Thought, “That Was an Awesome Day.” http://dld.bz/gwmM
5 fun ways to improve your writing: http://dld.bz/gwmm
Writers and Twitter: Yes, it’s a Good Thing! http://dld.bz/gwkU
Finding the Story in the Story– http://dld.bz/gwkT
Book promo tips for skittish sellers: http://dld.bz/gJyY @BookMarketer
The Importance of Hating Your Book– http://dld.bz/gwkH
Writing Tutorial: The Synopsis. http://dld.bz/gwkA
Mystery writer Kate Collins’ Abby Knight…today at Killer Characters: http://bit.ly/9l6VkU @kristadavis @LorraineBartlet
How Travel Renews Your Writing Life (Writer’s Digest): http://dld.bz/gwkj
Know When to Stop Editing– http://dld.bz/gwkf
Why genre is a writer’s best friend: http://bit.ly/bF96yz @CleoCoyle
Whose Fault is it When the Manuscript Fails to Sell? http://dld.bz/gwke
What’s for supper? Mystery writer Liz Lipperman’s Potato Chip Chicken Casserole: http://bit.ly/asFRWE @CleoCoyle @kristadavis
Trying to plot? Consider story frames: http://is.gd/cLzjH @mkinberg
Your Agent’s Editorial Ideas– http://dld.bz/gwjZ
Outlining with Index Cards– http://dld.bz/gwjU @annastanisz
Steampunk mass communications: http://dld.bz/gwjN @mattdelman
9 Ways To Improve Your Writing– http://dld.bz/gwh4
10 Things to Help with Developing Characterizations– http://dld.bz/gwhk
5 Great Summer Literary Festivals (Daily Beast)– http://dld.bz/fuCa
16 tips to write great thrillers: http://dld.bz/gmfS
Focus on one blog or juggle several blogs? http://dld.bz/gmfP
A Balanced Writing Life– http://dld.bz/gmfH
Book Marketing–Don’t go it alone: http://dld.bz/gmfE
Creativity As A Dirty Word– http://dld.bz/gmfh @stephanellaw
Is it Who You Know in Publishing? http://dld.bz/gmfe
Decisions, decisions (LOL): http://dld.bz/g68K @elspethwrites
Twitter Fiction. Really! http://dld.bz/gmeu
Reassessing Your Trajectory– http://dld.bz/gmdU
The Unbridled Passion of Young Adult Readers: http://dld.bz/gmdP
What is Fanfiction? http://dld.bz/gmd3
Real Life Diagnostics: Show vs. Tell, Part Two– http://dld.bz/gmbm
Learning how to use social media effectively: http://dld.bz/gmbg @JodyHedlund
Rethinking the Ebook Revolution: http://bit.ly/a6yfdm @S0BeUrself
Mistaken reports of midlist’s demise? http://dld.bz/ghNw
Important Elements of a Solid Creative Writing Program– http://dld.bz/gy4U
Superhero types and how to distinguish yours (Part 2)– http://dld.bz/ghNv
How to Read A Book– http://dld.bz/ghNr
Why You Need to Know Why You Write– http://dld.bz/gy5d @wawriters
Be brief and specific in our writing: http://dld.bz/ghNg
Nice collection of self-editing links : http://dld.bz/g942 @jaysubject
The best interview is the self-interview: http://dld.bz/gy5s
Maximize your story’s inciting event: http://dld.bz/gffK @KMWeiland
Showing, not telling– http://dld.bz/gffE @flawritersconf
Summer book fairs and festivals for writers: http://dld.bz/gff3
One Blogger’s Favorite Tweets for Writers May 31-June 6, 2010: http://dld.bz/gy5x @simplywriting
The greatest SF universes that include both magic and science fiction– http://dld.bz/geSJ
Writing obstacles and 9 tips for overcoming them: http://dld.bz/g67Q
Writing lessons from a rock concert: http://dld.bz/geS7
What’s for supper? Easy, cheesy broccoli cornbread from the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen: http://dld.bz/g68c @CleoCoyle @kristadavis @AveryAames
How one writer conducts research: http://dld.bz/gy56
Who really reads your manuscript? http://dld.bz/geSr
Sharing stories: http://dld.bz/geSC @TheNewAuthor
For zombie-loving writers: 5 real diseases that could make you act just like a zombie: http://dld.bz/geS8
Meet Lulu Taylor of “Delicious and Suspicious.” Today, on Killer Characters: http://bit.ly/cdCTgJ
The Two Types Of Twitter Stars– http://dld.bz/g4G8
One writer resents editing other people’s work– http://dld.bz/geSk
You promised to write your story today: http://dld.bz/geRE
Writers’ Groups: the Nuts and Bolts– http://dld.bz/g4G3 @CPatrickSchulze
Tools for Writers– http://dld.bz/geRu @EmilyCaseysMuse
The 3 things that make for lasting motivation for a writer: http://dld.bz/geRr
Better listening leads to better writing– http://dld.bz/geRa
Motif in Query Letters– http://dld.bz/geQZ
The Power of the First Sentence– http://dld.bz/geSh
Creative ways to add dialogue to one-character scenes: http://dld.bz/geQq
Finding a Writing Mentor– http://dld.bz/geRH @flawritersconf
The scene conflict worksheet–developing tension in your novel (excellent): http://dld.bz/gy6V @4KidLit
An agent advised to query on only 1 project at a time: http://dld.bz/gePV @arcaedia
Unpublished Larsson stories found (Globe and Mail): http://dld.bz/gy6Q
What Has Stephen King Done For You Lately? http://dld.bz/gy67 @PauloCamposInk
Ten of the best examples of rowing in literature– (Guardian): http://dld.bz/gePU
Writing Effective Description– http://dld.bz/gePG
Agent Sharlene Martin is Teaching ”10 Secrets to a Winning Book Proposal”: http://dld.bz/gyz4
How can writers make an over-the- top event feel right, if surprising? http://dld.bz/gePC
Cozy mystery character Skye Denison on today’s Killer Characters: http://dld.bz/gzJz
Trying to write a synopsis? Consider the first sentence of paragraphs: http://dld.bz/gdyU
52 Therapeutic Writing Tips & Techniques– http://dld.bz/gz9r
12 things one writer has learned so far (incl. don’t look to your cat for approval): http://dld.bz/gzGq @elspethwrites
Don’t writers have the right to remain silent? (Guardian) http://dld.bz/gdy7
The cycle of blogging–how life is different at 10 followers vs. 1000 followers: http://dld.bz/gzAr @WritingAgain
Where Do Writers Write? (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/gy66
Writing sexual tension in a romance: http://dld.bz/gz7U @authorterryo
The resource roundup– tips for coming up with the right title: http://dld.bz/gduk @bluemaven
Life is fast-paced. Should books be? http://dld.bz/gyxb
Tales from the Slush Pile–some problems an editor is seeing– http://dld.bz/gdup
Dialogue–talking about talking: http://dld.bz/gy7x
Big books, small apartment (The Globe and Mail): http://dld.bz/gduw
Authors Take Note: Yet Another “How Not to Get Published” Story: http://dld.bz/fXJZ
Public Speaking: Another Newbie Tale– http://dld.bz/fXJY
Cut the Cord, Writers!– http://dld.bz/fXJS
Macavity Award Nominees 2010– http://dld.bz/gwuE @JanetRudolph
6 Tips on Writing Picture Books (That May Just Warm Your Heart): http://dld.bz/fXJK
You just don’t understand me! http://bit.ly/cc9KhS @p2p_editor
A voice journal as a writing tool: http://dld.bz/gwhS @paulgreci
5 Must-Read Short-Story Collections (Daily Beast): http://dld.bz/gwha
5 Elements that Make Fantasy Fiction Feel Real : http://dld.bz/fXJ7
6 Ways to Constantly Produce Quality Blog Content– http://dld.bz/fXJ6
So frickin’ predictable: The creative process: http://dld.bz/fXJ2 @writingroads
An Agent on Choosing and Finding an Agent: http://dld.bz/fXJh
Writing Opportunity: New Magazines: http://dld.bz/fXJc
Sex and the single mother–writing a romance w/ a single mom as protagonist: http://dld.bz/gvb2
The writer’s rejection dictionary: http://dld.bz/fXJa @4KidLit
How To Build A Strong On-line Following Even Before You Have A Book Deal– http://dld.bz/fXHX
Deadline to meet? Go clean that oven… http://dld.bz/fXHP @wawriters
How to create guest post guidelines for your blog: http://dld.bz/fXHH
Dear Writing Mojo– http://dld.bz/fXH7
Writing a mystery series (some tips): http://dld.bz/fXHr
Avoiding a character description dump: http://dld.bz/gsA4
5 tips for playing a smart publishing game: http://dld.bz/fXHp @JodyHedlund
The Nine Lives of Translated Literature– http://dld.bz/fXHe
6 keys to revising your fiction: http://dld.bz/gsBt
Get to a character’s core with this RSC exercise: http://dld.bz/gs9T
Own Your Ambition– http://dld.bz/fXHk
Overcoming Doubt– http://dld.bz/fXH4
How to Make Twitter More Useful (apps)– http://dld.bz/fXHw
How to Craft Back Cover Copy that Sells Books– http://dld.bz/fXHt
How to Become a Speaker to Build Your Platform– http://dld.bz/fXGr
Stieg Larsson: The Man Who Wrote ‘The Girl Who…’ (NPR): http://dld.bz/fXGs
Under representation in SF: http://dld.bz/gmep
How to Use YouTube to Position Yourself as an Author-Expert– http://dld.bz/fXGk
The problem with calling your manuscript “cutting edge”: http://dld.bz/fXFE
What do you stand to lose if you are unsuccessful at achieving your writing goal? http://dld.bz/fXF9
Create Printed Marketing Materials to Promote Your Book– http://dld.bz/fXF2
An author’s take on MFA programs: http://dld.bz/gmcS
Why everyone hates poetry: http://dld.bz/fXFw
Freelancer’s Survival Guide: Giving Up On Yourself Part One– http://dld.bz/fXFh
Whether by telephone or text message, communication is learned– http://dld.bz/fXEP
Writing unreliable narrators and unreliable impressions: http://dld.bz/gnUf
Looking at our old writing–some observations: http://dld.bz/fXEt @__Deb
How to Make Your Travels Part of Your Career Brand– http://dld.bz/fXDG
What’s behind the boom in dystopian fiction for young readers? (New Yorker) http://dld.bz/gmfX
Responding to comments–how important is it? http://dld.bz/gmb5 @stephfaris
Your Blog is Not Your Job– http://dld.bz/fXDn
Will Literary Agents Really Read Your Query Letter? http://dld.bz/gmbp @Writeitsideways
11 Practical Ways To Stop Procrastination– http://dld.bz/fXDk
Some tips on synopsis writing: http://dld.bz/fXCV
A summing-up of an #askYAeditor chat: http://dld.bz/gkHU Great tips on the current market.
On dramatic irony in writing: http://dld.bz/fXC4
Reading Our Reviews: http://dld.bz/fXCz
What Makes You Put a Book Down? http://dld.bz/fXBS
Why you want an intern to read your proposal: http://dld.bz/fXB6
A recap of The Cimmerian Blog, Year Two: Aug. 2006 – Aug. 2007 (a blog of heroic fantasy, horror, and historical adv.): http://dld.bz/fUMc
10 ways authors can profit from instant screencasts for Twitter they create for free– http://dld.bz/fUKS
For a writer, no time is ever wasted– http://dld.bz/fUKH
Adverbs are much maligned: http://dld.bz/fUKA
5 Ways to have your Author Website Work for You– http://dld.bz/fUJ5
Summer Survival Guide for Writer Moms– http://dld.bz/fUJx
Reflection Mode: Thinking About Life Inside an MFA Program– http://dld.bz/fUJe
Novelists–be careful before you spend time submitting to writing contests: http://dld.bz/fUJc
Networking for writers: http://dld.bz/fUHK
Avoiding Basic Writing Blunders– http://dld.bz/fUHG
Using Creative Commons to add media to your blog– http://dld.bz/fUFU
So, What’s Really Killing Fiction? http://dld.bz/fUHF
7 things one writer has learned so far: http://dld.bz/fUFP
Writing About Rape– http://dld.bz/fUHD
What I’m Learning from the Launch of My New eBook– http://dld.bz/fUGe
It all comes back to the story: http://dld.bz/geUJ
How to write good dialogue – it’s not simply about what people say– http://dld.bz/gffQ @dirtywhitecandy
As Lit Fest nears, a query: What’s the future of books? (Chicago Tribune): http://dld.bz/gffa
20 young writers to watch (NY Times): http://dld.bz/fUHp
A nice review of my book by @Ghunibee: http://dld.bz/geW9 Thanks so much, Glynis!
What do editors do? http://dld.bz/fUHj
Killer Characters blog: where characters take over a blog. See what happens when the authors aren’t looking. http://dld.bz/geU6
Crafting Visual, Memorable Scenes– http://dld.bz/geWj @4KidLit
A rejection is just a rejection–don’t parse it: http://dld.bz/fUGj
Text query letter to e-mail–formatting your query from Word to email: http://dld.bz/fUFX
A writing roundup: http://dld.bz/gdu5 @PauloCamposInk
When You’re Weary of Writing: http://dld.bz/fUFJ
The art of weekend reading (Globe and Mail) : http://dld.bz/gdu2
Having trouble finding the right word? Some resources: http://dld.bz/gdun @bluemaven
When Bad Writing Becomes Funny– http://dld.bz/fUFB
Top 10 Ways to Cyberslack: http://dld.bz/fUF4
Finding a writer’s residency program: http://dld.bz/fUFc
On writing conventions–what can writers get out of them? : http://dld.bz/fUFa
Have you tried fast drafting to silence your inner editor? http://dld.bz/fUEX
Copyright Protection Service: Another One You Don’t Need– http://dld.bz/fUEF
Top Ten Signs of a Writer– http://dld.bz/fUE6
Don’t Quit Your Day Job-What Debut YA Writers Really Make– http://dld.bz/fUE4 @Georgia_McBride
Writer’s block? Or is it more of a writer’s hesitation? http://dld.bz/gbYs
Conveying Character: A Few Suggestions– http://dld.bz/fUEz
An Agent Says Thick Skin is Part of the Job: http://dld.bz/fUEk
Great advice from the experts– http://dld.bz/fUDZ
Will my grandma like my book? http://dld.bz/fKz9
Use foreshadowing to keep readers reading (video): http://dld.bz/fKz7
An explanation of some important financial phrases for writers: http://dld.bz/fKz2
Lessons from the Backspace Writers Conference: http://dld.bz/fKy5
An agent on developing the one-sentence summary: http://dld.bz/fKy2
What it’s like to do agent revisions: http://dld.bz/fKxJ @frankiediane
Have we homogenized writing? Are we better or worse off than we were when we writers labored in isolation? http://dld.bz/fKxG
Tales From the World Steam Expo– http://dld.bz/fKnT
What I Wish I’d Known : http://dld.bz/fXKG
Create Writing Flow Using The 10 Minutes of Gibberish Method: http://dld.bz/fXKM
6 Organization Tips for Disorganized Writers– http://dld.bz/fXKw @Writeitsideways
An Author’s Plan for Social Media– 21 tips: http://dld.bz/fXDy
5 observations on how genre novelists deal with setting: http://dld.bz/fXBs
How to Promote an Event– http://dld.bz/fKsu
Twitterific- ElizabethSCraig’s tweets from the past week: http://bit.ly/cCSoki
Twists on conversational endings– http://dld.bz/fKs2
4 Steps to Create a Simple Website– http://dld.bz/fKtK
5 ways writers can use the “fundamental attribution error”: http://bit.ly/c6Qqyw
Twitter 101: Hashtags Worth Checking Out– http://dld.bz/fKtQ
The Secret to Success: Harness the Power of Focus and Concentration– http://dld.bz/fKur
The Secret to Plot in Your Novel– http://dld.bz/fKvr
Things I’d love to see being posted online– http://dld.bz/fKve
The Hero’s Journey Part 9 – Reward– http://dld.bz/fKvt @JustusRStone
Cultivating the Mental Energy to Write– http://dld.bz/fKn9 @Wordstrumpet
Do You Really Gain Followers from Online Interviews? http://dld.bz/fKn7
Plot types: http://dld.bz/fKv3
10 Lies Agents & Editors Tell You. And Why. http://dld.bz/fKn2
Beware of those who recite poetry at parties– http://dld.bz/fKn5
The Art of War for Writers : http://dld.bz/fUDF
Manuscript CPR: http://dld.bz/fKn4
Messy friends and messy characters: http://dld.bz/fKyk
Book blurbing: http://dld.bz/fKxS
The E-Book Juggernaut– http://dld.bz/fD7R
What do I deserve as an author? http://dld.bz/fSBf
The Surefire Way to Save Yourself from Mediocrity (That You Already Know, But Don’t Do) http://dld.bz/fD79
Newer vs. Established Agents– http://dld.bz/fSAK
Paris: What’s not to love? Two expat authors write a list… http://dld.bz/fSA4
Plus—my July 6th release is just weeks away! Click here for my book release contest. Entering is easy. :)
The release of Delicious and Suspicious is getting really close, y’all. Close enough for me to run a contest. :)
First of all, if you’d like to get acquainted with my protagonist, Lulu Taylor, please pop over for a visit with her at the Killer Characters blog.
And now, the contest.
What: To kick off the July 6 release of the first of the Memphis BBQ books, Delicious and Suspicious, I’m holding a contest.
When: The contest will run from Saturday, June 11th through Monday, July 5th.
The Prize: The winner; announced on the blog Monday, July 5th; will receive a $25 bookstore gift card, a signed copy of Delicious and Suspicious, and a Delicious and Suspicious tote bag.
How: Send an email to Elizabeth at mwimcontest@gmail.com with “contest” in the subject. That’s all you have to do to be entered in the contest.
Extra entry if you add Mystery Writing is Murder to your blog roll (and if you give me your blog address, I’ll add yours to mine.) Just mention the add on your entry email. If my blog is already on your blog roll, let me know that, too (and tell me if I’m not reciprocating and I’ll fix it!)
Extra, extra entry if you pre-order Delicious and Suspicious. No receipt necessary, just make a mention on your email. Remember that it’s under my pen name, Riley Adams.
Pre-order your copy of Delicious and Suspicious at:
Indie Bound
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Borders
Mystery Lovers Bookshop
For the Kindle edition, click here.
That’s it! Good luck, y’all.
Today I have the pleasure of having Margot Kinberg guest post on the blog. Margot is a mystery writer (her newest, B-Very Flat has just been released.) But Margot is also a mystery novel expert—and I don’t use that word lightly. If you check out her blog, Confessions of a Mystery Novelist, you’ll see what I mean.
When people find out that I write novels, one thing they ask me is, “How do you make a book come out of your ideas?” “How do you put all those chapters together?”
Well, the fact is, I have a dirty little secret – I’m organized. You couldn’t tell if you looked at the contents of my purse (Oh, please, don’t do that!), but when I write, I am organized. Sometimes, that slows down the pace of my writing, and I am in deep admiration of my writer friends who just start writing and then write until the story is told. But that’s just not the way I think. So I use a story frames strategy.
Maybe it’s the educator in me, but I’ve always liked the idea of focusing on the story’s structure: it’s the backbone of a story, so to me, it needs to be strong. Story frames focus the writer on the way the story’s put together. In a way, it’s like the frame of a building. Once the frame’s in place, the writer’s creativity adds the wonderful architectural touches that can make buildings beautiful. To show you what I mean, let me, if I may, share the story frame I used when I wrote B-Very Flat.
The problem starts when…
Every good story has a problem, or a conflict. If the characters don’t have to deal with anything, there’s not much of a story, really. Umm…I’m a mystery novelist, so in my books, the problem is murder. So the challenge for me and other crime fiction authors is to figure out where the problem will begin.
This is a pretty important question, because it’s very often when the problem begins that the reader decides whether or not to take an interest in the book. There are a few ways to make a crime fiction novel interesting at the beginning. One of them is to have someone stumble upon a body. That’s a problem. The advantage of that frame for the beginning is that it gets the reader’s interest right away. Who’s the dead person? What’s the body doing there? Several excellent novels like Martha Grimes’ The Man With a Load of Mischief begin that way – with the finding of at least one body.
Another way to introduce the problem is to introduce the victim right away, and let the reader “meet” the victim and find out who she or he is. That’s often an effective way to give the reader clues about why anyone would want to kill the victim. This approach also allows the writer to build tension and suspense, since crime fiction lovers know that somebody is probably going to die in the book. Introducing the victim first also allows the writer to develop the victim’s character a little. That’s one reason I chose that approach for B-Very Flat. The victim in that novel is Serena Brinkman, a very gifted violinist who’s a student at Tilton University. I wanted readers to get to know her and find out a little about her family, friends and so on. With this approach, the problem begins as we see the interactions between the victim and other characters, and we can see the tension rising. That culminates with the victim’s death.
After that…
Since crime fiction novels center around a crime – often a murder – the “what comes next” part is usually the investigation of the crime. Of course, that leaves a lot of leeway for the writer. There are a lot of ways, for instance, to involve the sleuth in the investigation, and as long as a way is logical, the writer can be creative. Does the sleuth investigate because the victim is a friend, family member, etc.? Because the sleuth is in law enforcement? Because the sleuth’s been accused of the crime? The nice thing about crime fiction is that there are any number of ways that people can get drawn into investigating crime, so long as they make sense.
Since my sleuth, Joel Williams, isn’t in law enforcement any more, it wouldn’t have made sense for him to just start investigating Serena Brinkman’s death. In real life, that wouldn’t likely happen. Instead, I decided to have him involved through his academic status. Williams is a professor at Tilton University, so it would make sense for one of his advisees to consult him. That’s just what Serena’s partner, Patricia Stanley, does. When Serena suddenly dies on the night of an important music competition, her death looks accidental at first. But Patricial is convinced it was no accident, and asks Williams for help. Williams is a former police officer, so he has great respect for the local police, and no desire to “step on their toes.” He has several friends on the force, though, and is able to work with the police to solve the mystery of Serena’s death.
The problem is solved when…
This is one of the tricky parts about mystery novels. On one hand, in many of them, the sleuth solves the crime, the “bad guy” gets caught and is punished, and all is explained. Some crime novelists do that sort of ending very effectively.
The truth is, though, that life’s not really like that. People’s lives are changed forever when there’s a murder. Investigations can be hard on the sleuth, too. So endings that are too “neat” can present a problem. That’s why some of the finest mystery novels have “messier” endings, or at least endings where the characters don’t walk neatly and happily away from the murder. That’s also why I decided not to have everyone happy at the end of B-Very Flat. Of course, Williams does help to track down Serena Brinkman’s murderer. In that sense, the story has a “clean” ending. But the people in Serena’s life have to deal with her loss and the murder investigation, and this affects them.
So there you have it. I used this sort of story frame when I wrote B – Very Flat, and I found it very helpful. Story frames aren’t for everyone, though, and every writer has to make an individual decision about whether to use some sort of organizer.
The Pros of Story Frames
The Cons of Story Frames
In the end, every writer has to find for him or herself the most effective strategies for getting those wonderful ideas into final form. Story frames are just one way to accomplish this. They work for me, but that’s the kind of writer I am. Are you? Do you organize your work in some sort of structure like a story frame? If not, how do you focus your writing?
Sometimes we just run into some problems or conflicts when we need to write. Just like there are internal and external conflicts, there are also internal and external factors that seem bound and determined to trip us up.
So what can a writer do?
Please visit me at A Good Blog is Hard to Find today for some ideas on working through those obstacles.
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I’m at three different blogs today. Actually…I guess this is the 4th blog. Yes, when I overextend myself, I go whole hog! :)
I’m also at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen with some broccoli cornbread for your dinner table.
And I’m on a 3rd blog, too—but I’m going to promote it on Saturday since I don’t want to send everyone to too many places!
Also, I hope everyone will join me here tomorrow when I have Margot Kinberg guest posting for me on using story frames to organize and plot your novel.