As I’ve said in the past, life’s not all about writing and words.
For me, it’s also about the love of gardening: the grit of the earth, the snap of secateurs, the fragrance of bluebells.
Well, yesterday I reached another bloomin’ milestone: the opening of my first grown-from-seed Himalayan Blue Poppy. Fabulous!
The pics say it all. Enjoy.
Himalayan Blue Poppy Blossoming
Himalayan Blue Poppy Blossom
Himalayan Blue Poppy Stem
Good ol’ Smashwords.
My ebooks will now be distributed to major app marketplaces…for free. How can you beat that?
Here’s a teaser from Smashwords:
Smashwords announced a distribution agreement with ScrollMotion today that will make Smashwords Premium Catalog ebooks available for sale as single-book apps in the major app marketplaces including Apple, Android, Windows Phone 7 and HP’s WebOS.
Full details may be found at Smashwords.com.
Thanks to the great folks at Smashwords, ebook sales just keep gettin’ stronger!
Hey fans of writing, radio and podcasts.
The Novel Experience podcast is now available via Digital Podcast.
Check it out at The Novel Experience.
The Novel Experience Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Hey lovers of words and stories.
Welcome to The Novel Experience®, the podcast dedicated to the craft and art of fiction writing.
Novel Experience Podcast
No fluff, no filth, just fun, fascinating and fruitful discussions with authors, editors, booksellers, publishers and agents to help you fulfill your writing career. Your comments, guest suggestions and topic ideas are welcome.
Episode 15: Bloody Words Mystery Conference, June 3-5, Victoria, BC
Today, I interview Kay Stewart, published mystery author and co-chair of Canada’s largest mystery conference, being held in Victoria, British Columbia this June. (click link above or below).
Discover Kay’s embarrassing writing secret (I’m amazed and impressed that she revealed it), add her excellent tips to your writer’s toolkit, learn how she successfully collaborated on a mystery novel with her husband, find out about Bloody Words and why she’s desperately seeking a coffin maker before June! (duration ~ 38 minutes)
The Novel Experience Podcast Ep. 15 – Kay Stewart
Also, hear our title track, Devil in the Details by Glynne Turner.
Hey! Wanna know a secret?
Something new and very cool is in the wind.
So this blog is now on hiatus, though The Novel Experience podcasts may continue.
Thanks for your past support. Of course, you may still read my old posts (over 150 of ‘em!) and listen to my published podcasts.
And no…I can’t tell what it’s about.
At least, not yet.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Hey lovers of words and stories.
Welcome to The Novel Experience®, the podcast dedicated to the craft and art of fiction writing. Listen, enjoy and improve your chances of getting published!
The Novel Experience Podcast
Episode 14: From Words to Print
Today, I complete my three-part chat with publisher, editor and visual artist Clare Thorbes (click link above or below).
Clare brings a diverse perspective to the writing/publishing business, being a professional editor and former co-owner of Salal Press, a boutique publishing company during the nineties.
Listen to discover what challenges Clare encountered and surmounted as a small publishing house, learn what she would do differently if she were entering publishing today and find out she thinks makes an ideal manuscript. (duration ~ 18 minutes)
The Novel Experience Podcast Ep. 14 – Clare Thorbes
This episode’s music track is the rockin’ instrumental Don’t Give Up, by Glynne Turner.
Just discovered a new review for my little how-to write a mystery primer, Youdunit Whodunit, on Goodreads.com.
cover image for Youdunit Whodunit!
J. Rosemary Moss kindly gave it three stars, saying:
A brisk, informative read for new-comers to the mystery genre.
Short and sweet…thanks, Ms. Moss, for buying my little ebook and for taking the time to applaud it on Goodreads.com.
Intro: I occasionally teach a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. The students eat it up, telling me that they’re learning lots of practical and usable tips and techniques, so I thought I’d offer bits and pieces of the workshop in my Friday Mystery Writing blog posts.
The information is gleaned from my little non-fiction e-book primer called Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries and offers my tips, techniques and information suitable for crafting of all types of genre writing.
So, even if you write romance, sci-fi, fantasy or horror, please keep reading and learn with us crime writers.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (Part 18)
The last group of posts have focused on the point of view (POV) from which to tell your tale.
Most recently, we’ve moved into creating the people who populate your story. I nicknamed this step: Haven’t We Met Before?
There are three types of CHARACTERS who populate fiction: Major, Secondary and Minor.
Obviously, your major characters are the most important and require the bulk of your thoughts, so take some time and get to know them…intimately.
Don't Be Shy
This is simplified if you ask a lot of questions, moving from broader basic information, to more intimate details and finally into fun and quirky stuff. In episode 16, we began by musing about personal details.
You’re Invading My Personal Space
Today, we did deeper and get even more personal.
Armed with your budding characters, begin to flesh out their temperament and PERSONALITY TRAITS, choosing four interesting ones that help determine speech patterns, thoughts and actions.
These four traits will help you bring your character to life when you are writing their dialogue, movements, reactions and feelings. Read the rest of this entry »
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Hey lovers of words and stories.
Welcome to The Novel Experience®, the podcast dedicated to the craft and art of fiction writing. Listen, enjoy and improve your chances of getting published!
The Novel Experience Podcast
Episode 13: From Words to Print
Today, I continue my three-part chat with publisher, editor and visual artist Clare Thorbes (click link above or below).
Clare brings a diverse perspective to the writing/publishing business, being a professional editor and former co-owner of Salal Press, a boutique publishing company during the nineties.
Listen to discover the inside scoop on what a small publishing house looks for in a manuscript. Also, ever wondered what is meant by “finding your voice”? Don’t despair; using the visual arts as a comparison, Clare’s explanation is simple and clear and soon you and your “authorial voice” will be one. (duration ~ 15 minutes)
The Novel Experience Podcast Ep. 13 – Clare Thorbes 2
This episode’s music track is a demo of a very touching song, A Better Man, by Glynne Turner.
Find out more about Clare’s editing services and her art by emailing her at thorbesedit (at) gmail (dot) com.
Creating memorable characters for your genre fiction can be both challenging and rewarding. It ain’t easy but it can be done. And if you’re in Victoria, BC, in May, check out my course which is being offered by Camosun College on Saturday, February 26th from 1:30 – 4:40 pm.
You don’t have to have weird and wacky types like you’d find in Dickens (but bully for you if you do); however, you do want personalities that stand out, that resonate with your readers.
After all, think of any good book or movie. Do you remember the intricacies of the plot? Or do you remember the players?
How about The Sculptress, by Minette Walters, as an example. It’s an award winning mystery novel with a terrific twisty turny plot but what I remember most is the titular character, Olive Martin, as she sat in prison carving human figurines out of wax. Let’s just say she stuck with me.
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