Month: May 2026

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Writing The Senses #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized

June 1, 2026

Which of the senses is the hardest for you to include in your writing?

As a writer, we’re told all the time to include all the senses in our writing.

That can be a hard job. It’s part of the adage “Show, not tell.” I can describe a snowy day -cold, windy, dark clouds, maybe even the smell of a storm moving is – but taste?

That’s my downfall. I’ll easily tell you about the Chinese food my characters are eating, but to describe the flavor of those dishes eludes me. How many words are there? Sweet, salty, spicy, chocolatey? I suspect that I am flavor-blind in a way. In real life, other people can taste basic flavors in food long before I can. Even something as simple as potato chips don’t appeal to me because I find them bland. Something has to be really salty before I can taste the salt. I once cooked a batch of biscuits with half the salt the recipe called for. I couldn’t tell the difference, but my mother-in-law could.

So taste is the hardest sense for me to write. How do you describe what a chocolate cake tastes like? What’s the difference between a strawberry and a blueberry? If you haven’t experienced a food or a spice, how do you describe it or understand the description someone else has shared?

But I guess that’s true for any of the senses. How do you describe a blue sky to someone who has lived in darkness? Or the difference between the smell of burnt feathers and daisies?

That’s our job as writers. It’s not always easy. Truthfully, it’s rarely easy. 

What do the other authors on this hop have trouble writing? Find out by following the links below. 

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

Goal update: I’ve broken 60,000 words. Unless the universe interferes, I should finish in a day or two!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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June 1, 2026

Which of the senses is the hardest for you to include in your writing?

 

 

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Words I Don’t Use #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 25 2026

We’ve talked about our favorite words.

Are there words that you despise and won’t use?

Some years ago, when I was starting a new job in a technology environment,  a current employee challenged me about the worst word I ever used. Now, you must realize I was a mild-mannered older woman, someone who didn’t fit into the typical male stereotype. What they didn’t realize was that as a wordsmith, no word was excluded from my vocabulary.

It took me a moment to figure out how I could push it when I answered. With no manager present, it opened up the boundaries. The only other woman in the workroom had already revealed her character in overheard telephone conversations. So, I went there.

Now, we weren’t in Australia, where this word loses its power. I looked him in the eye and proclaimed, “Cunt.”

I swear my questioner nearly fell over. Instead, after a few seconds, he shook his head and laughed. 

Words have power. That single word gave me entry into a fellowship I didn’t realize existed. After that, the gentleman felt free to include me in various conversations I might have missed out on otherwise. There was only one time when he asked me to leave the room when he had a discussion with the other (male) techs (that wasn’t work-related).

Writing is like that tech. It challenges us to use one of those words. Sometimes  a “wrong” word is the right word. It can be avoided, but that may be at the loss of the strength of the sentence. It’s a choice that writers have to make. Would the example I used above have carried the same meaning if I’d used a tamer word?

Now, I may use words in my writing that I don’t use in real life. Especially as my daughter and grandchildren live with us, and I watch my language around them. But I can type them to strengthen my story and not worry about sullying little ears.

So, there are no words I won’t use in my writing. There are words I think hard about before putting on paper. Words that, while their meaning is rough, the way they are used is rougher. Words that are meant to try to hurt people. In real life, I work hard to take away the power of those words.

Are there words our other authors despise? Find out by following the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until the next time.

Goal Update: I made it up to 58,800+ words. I didn’t think the book would get this long. I am trying to wrap it up, but there was another shooting instead. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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May 25 2026

We’ve talked about our favorite words. Are there words that you despise and won’t use?

 

Joy in Nature #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 18 2026

Stolen from Deanna Martinez-Bey and Writer’s Digest: What is on your joy list?

How do I possibly make a list of all the things that bring me joy?

It’s endless. But let’s start with today. It’s springtime in Western Pennsylvania, and to a lover of Mother Nature like me, that provides moments of joy everywhere you look. The annual spring migration of birds passes through here, and many varieties stop in the area on their way to their summer homes.

Some stay here. The hummingbirds arrived this week, and I attracted one to my feeder within an hour after I hung it. I’ve never had one sit on my finger, but I have two of the feathers preserved in a plastic bag on my desk. Hummingbirds are joy in motion.

But I don’t have to see any birds for magic to happen. I can sit outside and listen to the chorus of songs from the trees and lawns that surround my home. I may not know which type of bird produces which sound, but I don’t need to. Pure joy in song.

The saying “April showers bring May flowers” was written for this area. When I moved in, I didn’t make any major changes to the yard. I wanted to see what came up as a volunteer. So, with no intervention from me (except for the addition of daffodils and black-eyed Susans) there are over twenty varieties of flowers here. This evening, forget-me-nots and buttercups are taking over. The Japanese iris (purple) are about to break into bloom. Add the baskets of flowers I got for Mother’s Day, the fresh green of the trees bursting into leaf, and its joy in color.

That’s just today and only a start. I could go on forever about finding joy in nature. How about the other authors on this hop? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe. And have a joyful moment!

Goal update: I’m sitting at 56,400. I didn’t realize this story would go this long. It threw another twist at me.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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May 18 2026

Stolen from Deanna Martinez-Bey and Writer’s Digest: What is on your joy list?

Pie, Cake, Or Ice Cream? #OpenBook Blog hop

  By Open Book

May 11 2026

Do you prefer pie or cake?

Have you ever included either in your writing?

Orson held the door to the restaurant open for me. I nodded at the waitress, who, with a puzzled expression on her face, nodded back. I think she recognized both of us, but couldn’t place why. If I wanted to scream, this was my chance. But for whatever reason, I no longer felt threatened by Orson, and led the way to an empty booth. I slid onto the bench so my back was to the door, figuring he’d be more comfortable being able to watch who came in.

“I’m going to get dessert,” I told him as I took a menu from the holder. “Their pies looked delicious.”

“Ice cream or whipped cream?” he asked.

“Depends. Berry pies are whipped cream, apple are ice cream, and what goes with cherry changes with my mood. How about you?” This seemed more like speed dating than an interview with a famous thief.

“Ice cream. Always.”

Conversation lagged until the waitress came and took our orders. Blueberry pie and coffee for me while he got the traditional apple pie to go with his coffee. I mentally filed away the factoid that he took his coffee black. Orson watched with interest when another police car flew down the street in front of the restaurant. “Must have been an accident or something,” he said.
from: Her Ladyship’s Ring

I’m a cake person, despite the excerpt above. I like the flavor and texture of a good, moist cake. (Something I’ve never quite conquered.) A well-done frosting is a great way to top it off. You have to match the frosting to the flavor of the cake. I can’t imagine anything but a cream cheese frosting to go with carrot cake.

How about pie?

I used to have several great pie recopies. My apple pie was fantastic. And I make a light, flaky pie crust. But pies were never my choice when I’m out. (But I am a whipped cream over ice cream person when it comes to pie.)

How about ice cream?

Well, it isn’t included in the title, but ice cream — that’s always my first choice. None of that fake ice milk or dairy products. It’s got to be real ice cream. (It’s getting harder and more expensive to get it these days.)

And I have included ice cream in my stories. In fact, it became a major clue in the mystery of The Samurai’s Inro.

“The only items the Cookes identified as missing were a Japanese inro and the ice cream cones in the freezer. The culprit trashed the house, so they are still trying to get things cleaned up and figure out what else is gone.”

I tilted my head. “A bunch of kids broke into the house to throw a party and ate the ice cream. The what did you call it- inro?- is somewhere in the mess. And you want to blame Jake?”

How do our other authors feel about the choice of dessert? Find out by following the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until the next time.

Goal update: I’m at 54800+ words. That’s 3000+ words. It’s hit the spot that I’m so close to finishing the book that I resent any other writing I have to do.

May 11 2026

Do you prefer pie or cake? Have you ever included either in your writing?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Documenting My Life #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

May 4, 2026

Have you ever kept a diary? Are you still keeping one?

How often do you add an entry?

Many years ago—I’m guessing it was around 6th or 7th grade—I kept a diary. I still have one of those little books buried in a box. It’s been years since I looked through it,  As I remember, it was boring. My life wasn’t interesting back then. The highlight of my week was a Girl Scout meeting.

My daily adventures back then consisted of taking the bus to school, spending my day in the standard lessons of reading, writing, science, and arithmetic. The only thing that may have been different was that my teachers were mostly Roman Catholic nuns. Unlike the stores, they were wonderful and caring. After school came the time to do my chores and homework, play outside when the weather allowed, watch a little TV, and read. I read a lot.

So, there wasn’t much to document in my diary. My life was boring. I had no long-term plans for my life. I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I didn’t spend time analyzing my classmates or my relationships with them. I wasn’t part of the in-crowd, but was too smart and with enough friends to not be counted as part of the out-crowd. None of that was documented in my diary because it didn’t affect my life.

The worlds I invented in my head weren’t documented either. Back then, I didn’t write stories. (Although I created them in my head, I didn’t recognize that as a form of writing.) Or poetry. Or anything that didn’t have something to do with my education. I didn’t even note the name of each book I read. One book a night was my standard.

My attempts at keeping a diary didn’t last long. It never took hold, and I never tried again, not even as an adult. But in a way, my books reflect my life and the changes that have happened. 

I know that some of the authors on this hop do keep journals. It’ll be interesting to read their answers to this prompt. You can do that too, by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

Goal update: I’m sitting at 51,700+ words. With any luck, I’ll break 52,000 tonight. I’m nearing the conclusion of the mystery, although maybe not the story.

May 4, 2026

Have you ever kept a diary? Are you still keeping one? How often do you add an entry?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter