This week, I’ll post suggestions to get you tech ready for the blitz of writing you’ll swear to accomplish in the New Year. I do this every year so some will look familiar, but many are updated to reflect changes in the internet and virtual world we all inhabit. Here’s what you’ll get (links won’t …
Join me in this three-volume fictional exploration of Neanderthals and their lives. Be ready for a world nothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliant acts, and innovative solutions to life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthal family. …
During my blog hop to introduce my latest prehistoric fiction, Natural Selection, I received help from fellow author-blogger Jina Bazzar, author of the The Roxanne Fosch Files as well as a plethora of other thriller-fantasy fiction you can read more about on her Amazon page. Jina is vision challenged so hosted the story about one …
Here is a popular post from my Ask a Tech Teacher blog: You may have seen this on my education blog A friend asked about speech-to-text options for writing. There didn’t used to be many choices, but now, there are a plethora of tools available for this task. Make sure your microphone is enabled and …
Marcia Meara, author of the hugely entertaining Wake-Robin Ridge series (and more) and blogmaster over at The Write Stuff hosted me during the launch of my latest prehistoric fiction, Natural Selection as part of her fascinating #TenThings series, where she interviews authors to find out what readers might not know about them. I’m reposting the …
Here’s a quick rundown of my favorite tech tips for writers. I find myself using these most days, many times a week. Tell me in comments if that’s true for you, too: Track Your Stuff Windows has a Clipboard Stream! Get Rid of Spam Text Messages Find the Most Recent Blog Article Cover Your Webcam! …
I’m excited to welcome to WordDreams blogger, animal-lover, spiritualist, and acclaimed author of You Beneath My Skin and The Blue Bar, Damyanti Biswas. She is a spectacular writer whose words drop you right in the middle of the power and corruption that is New Delhi life and leave you wondering how the good guys can …
Today, Thomas Wikman, proud owner of a Leonberger named Bronco, author of the definitive book on this breed, The Life and Times of Le Bronco, and I, soulmate to my fictional Canis-dog Ump, sometimes star of the Dawn of Humanity trilogy, will compare stories about our massive dogs. Despite that Ump passed on about 2 …
Tech Tips for Writers is an occasional post on overcoming Tech Dread. I cover issues that friends, both real-time and virtual, have asked about. Feel free to post a comment about a question you have. I’ll cover it in a future tip. You may have seen this on my education blog When I promote my …
Years ago, I submitted my first novel to a list of agents who specialized in my genre, sure they’d love my quirky clever book. I’d edited, re-edited, and run it by people I trusted–it was dressed for success. At that time, I didn’t realize that finding an agent was like putting a hood on a …
It’s become popular to continue a beloved series after the death of the author. Some work like Anne Hillerman who continues the Navajo Mystery series started by her father, Tony Hillerman. He was iconic for his descriptions of life and culture through the adventures of a detective on an Indian reservation. She continues that nicely …
When I teach professional development classes, by far the topic that surprises attendees the most is the legal use of online images. And they’re not alone. On my blog, in educator forums, and in the virtual meetings I moderate, there is much confusion about what can be grabbed for free from online sites and what …
For the next few months, weekly writing tips will include word choice suggestions. That includes: colorful and original descriptions pithy words and phrases picture nouns and action verbs writing that draws a reader in and addicts them to your voice I keep a collection of descriptions that have pulled me into the books. I’m fascinated how …
This is inspired by Jennifer Cohen over at Forbes who wrote a wonderful article on “5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8am” (few of which I did, though I can claim #5). She includes chores like exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, map out the day–all great ideas, but not pithy enough for the average …
I met Luciana Cavallaro at a writer’s conference in San Diego. We sat across from each other at a huge round table during lunch, crowded with ten historical fiction writers, but managed to have a wonderful conversation that ultimately inspired the entire group and became the foundation for a lasting friendship. I found our interest in … Continue reading
I Love to Write Day, celebrated every November 15th, is a national celebration for the joy of writing books, poetry, memoirs, novels, non-fiction–any way we choose to express ourselves with words. The Governors of 9 states have officially proclaimed November 15 as I Love To Write Day in their states, and urge all of their … Continue reading
This post is for Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group. Click the link for details on what that means and how to join. You will also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge that are worth checking out. The first Wednesday of every month, we all post our thoughts, fears or words … Continue reading
This woman is a kick. I met her through a mutual love and respect for Martial Arts and fell in love with her irreverent sense of humor. She’s written several non-fiction books: Be a Happier Parent or Laugh Trying 101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person: Helping Singles Find Each Other, Contemplate Marriage, and Say … Continue reading
National Authors Day is celebrated on November 1 each year in the United States. It’s a day to honor and appreciate the contributions of authors whose works inspire, educate, and entertain. Established in 1928 by Nellie Verne Burt McPherson, a teacher and avid reader, it was officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce in … Continue reading
Marsha Ingrao and I are new efriends. I’ve been skulking around her blog, Always Write, for quite a while, mostly enjoying her writing, but not joining in the activities. Marsha runs an initiative called Story Chat. It involves a committed group of writers who discuss incredible short stories as though sitting together in a family … Continue reading
A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share a popular post from the past month on my teacher education blog, Ask a Tech Teacher. Three holidays are fast-approaching–Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If you’re a teacher, that means lots of tie-ins to make school festive and relevant to students. Here … Continue reading
I am still a few months away from launching the final book in the Savage Land trilogy, but it has me musing back on my last launch, of Badlands. For that one, good efriend, Sandra Cox, posted an article on her blog to promote my big day. Sandra Cox is a celebrated author of my … Continue reading
As many know who follow my blog, I lean heavily on online efriends to help me promote my new books. One of those is Colleen Chesebro, a Michigan author, poet, and lover of cozy mysteries, fantasy, syllabic poetry, reading, and drinking tea. Colleen hosts an excellent blog about writing, Colleen Writes and Publishes. She approaches … Continue reading
Fellow blogger, Darlene Foster, is the Canadian author of a hugely popular Amanda series that mixes travelogue with mystery and mayhem, all through the eyes of a precocious energetic, almost-teen named Amanda. I like learning about places I wish I could visit, and love seeing how the clever Amanda connects clues to solve mysteries. I’ve … Continue reading
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