August 26: Kadena Library Conference Room, 10:30 This meeting will be a feedback session, which means that you are encouraged to share your work with group members for feedback. In particular, I would encourage you to email your requested submission for feedback to me (judith.mcneely@faculty.umuc.edu in Korea) or to Dave (who is on Okinawa) at least one…Read more Upcoming Okinawa Events for Summer 2017
At our bi-weekly Okinawa Military Community Writers meeting, Kyle led off the discussion with an exercise in developing the main idea of a short story, novella, or book. He posted about this and covered the 5 Ws that can help a writer summarize the story they intend to write. I hope to build on that…Read more Plots and Plans
Tackling one-sentence summaries for new ideas or completed works.
For lovers of dark fantasy, epic fantasy, heroines, or antiheroes, I am pleased to announce The Bearer of Secrets, the first volume in the Dark Legacy series. The ebook has been released on Kindle and KindleUnlimited. The following is the back jacket blurb: In a land healing in the wake of the Wizard’s War and…Read more The Bearer of Secrets
Yes, you read that title right. Exposing the character can risk the attachments the reader has made to your protagonist, but also increase their value. Risk makes life exciting and frustrating all at once. Maybe you put your heart on the line and come away with ache. Perhaps you like the thrill of gambling? Risk…Read more Risk the Reader; Expose the Character
Let's talk about some of my favorite things, but like my aversion to simple and repetitive dialogue tags, my opinion seems to be in the minority. Perhaps I am a little old fashion, but there isn't anything wrong with that. I believe in holding doors open for a lady, paying for that first date, and…Read more An Old-Fashioned Opinion: Prologues, Epilogues, & Epigraphs
"I would love to write... but I just don't have the time!" I've lost track of how many times I've heard this from friends and co-workers who express an interest in creative writing. I've caught myself saying similar things as well. But the sad fact is, most of us are habitual liars. “Don’t let perfect…Read more Good vs the Goal
When discovering a new idea for a book, there are many factors involved, primarily: What is the story, and who is the story about? These two elements are the driving point of building a plot line. I am not advocating that you cannot create a storyline without knowing who your character is, but I am…Read more Five-Point Outline
