Tag: #IAmWriting

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None Of It Is Trash … Well, Almost #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

August 24, 2026

Name one thing that a writer should never do.

I’m going to skip the obvious.

You’ve heard it before. Never stop writing. There’s a lot of truth in the statement, but you’ve heard it before. I won’t bore you with repeating it.

Here’s a close second. Never throw away your discarded drafts. You never know when some part of them may come in useful. I’ve repeated the story about how The Rimer Files was derived from a story I wrote over a decade ago. And—hurrah!—the second book in the series, The Donovan File, went to the editor this past week. Now, I’m not suggesting that every word that spills from your pen onto a piece of paper is a New York Times bestseller. I can’t count how many times I’ve started and stopped trying to write another book in the Free Wolves series. Four? Five? Well, I’m trying again, and finding the scattering of other starts is making me crazy. (It’s been since 2018 that I wrote a book in that series.)

Shoot, tucked away in an envelope in a cardboard box, I have a draft of a story I wrote back in 1975. It’ll stay there, likely for the rest of my life, but I get a measure of joy from the reminder of what I accomplished.

I also have binders and files of poems that have never been published.

And won’t be. Some exist only as files on old computer flash drives. I’m okay with that.

The point is, I won’t know if I want to reference some small phrase of past writing until I actually need it. And I don’t have to wonder if it ended up in the trash somewhere, sometime. Oh, there are things that ended in a garbage can. I’m not totally delusional, and capable of writing trash.

Here’s an example of keeping discarded writing: I wrote a scene about a kidnapped girl as the opening scene for The Donovan’s File. When it was finished, I loved it, but I knew it wasn’t right. I set it aside and kept trying to figure out how to include it. I was halfway thru the story before I found a spot.

So, here’s my advice: hold on to those scraps of writing. If they are kept as computer files, no one will know you have them and can’t accuse you of hoarding.

What do the other authors advise? Find out by following the links below.

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

August 24, 2026

Name one thing that a writer should never do.

 

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To Change My World #OpenBook Bog Hop

  By Open Book

August 17, 2026

What’s one thing about your writing that you would change if you could do it easily?

What would I change?

Oh man, this is a tough one. I don’t know what I would change. The only thing I came up with is writing faster.

I’ve never been a book-a-month writer. Yes, I finished a first draft for NaNoWriMo several times, but they were never “good.” Back then, most of my books took around nine months to get ready for outside eyes.

But I’ve slowed down. It take longer to complete a story than it used to. It’s hard for me to give a good estimate, because I interrupted working on my last two books to write short stories for charitable anthologies. I’m getting ready to send my latest version of The Donovan Files to my editor after over a year of work. I checked my records, but I’m not sure exactly when I started the first draft.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

I could make up a myriad of excuses for why that happened. Truth is, I’m just finding it harder to concentrate. So, what would I change? Easy answer, I’d regain my powers of ignoring the world around me and write faster. I have several stories bouncing around in my brain. I want to write a third book in the Edwards Investigations series and a fourth one in the Free Wolves books. (That’s a story I’ve started three times and never made it past the first chapter. Over the weekend, in between customers at the local community festival, I started a fourth version. We’ll wait and see what happens.)

First, I need to write the blurb for my WIP. I’ve been putting it off too long. Now to story is finished, I have no excuse.

What would other authors change? Find out by following the links below.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

 

August 17, 2026

What’s one thing about your writing that you would change if you could do it easily?

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Is It Clutter Or Pleasure? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

August 10, 2026

Do you collect anything in particular?

I’m going to assume that books don’t count here.

Sadly, I don’t have as many as I used to because I needed to pare down when we moved after I retired. But I’ve been adding new books to be bookshelf.

At heart, I am a minimalist. Unlike my husband, who would buy many collectibles if we had an unlimited amount of spare money. We’ve learned to compromise.

I have allowed myself to gather fake flowers and put them all over the house. No fancy arrangements, just flowers stuck in a variety of containers. They make me happy even in the dreary days of winter.

I do have a weakness.

I admit to harboring far too much outdated computer equipment during my years working in IT. And technology changed rapidly. I ended up with outdated RAM, old motherboards, graphics cards that no longer meet current standards. That’s not mentioning peripherals – old mice, cables of all sorts, even used battery backups. I also ended up with old but updated computers. But my pride is a Windows 3.1 laptop that still worked the last time I checked.

My stash proved useful more than once at work. When maintaining legacy equipment, it’s handy to have old equipment around. But when I retired and moved, I had most of the equipment recycled rather than hauling it across country.

There is one thing more I kept. (Besides the old laptop.) I have an almost complete collection of Windows installation media. Yep, even Windows 3.1 on computer discs. Windows 11 is on a USB stick. The rest are on CD. The one I don’t remember collecting is Windows ME.

 

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

That’s my collection. It may be weird, but it brings me joy.

What do the others on this hop collect? Join me in exploring their answers by following the links below.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

 

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August 10, 2026

Do you collect anything in particular?

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. 

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May 25 2026

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

 

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?

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Is This The End? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

April 13, 2026

From your story’s point of view, how does it feel when you, the author, writes “The End?”

It’s been a long time coming.

She started out with high hopes, ready to discover where the story idea would take her. When she started, I knew better than to believe she’d found the right beginning. The other stories on the computer warned me she had a habit of starting and restarting her writing. They were right. She started this one three times, then set it aside to work on another story. I despaired that I’d ever get written.

But she got back to me – eventually. And she restarted from the beginning. It was better, in my opinion,  but it wasn’t easier for her. She struggled. If she got two hundred words in a day, she celebrated. Once in a rare while, she’d break 500 words. Then there were days she wouldn’t even open me up.

I didn’t like being ignored. So, every time she sat at the computer, I’d nag her. It was her fault, really. She put a shortcut on her desktop, after all.

Well, she got to the end – eventually. Or almost. The other stories warned me. She hates ending a story. She’ll hold off as long as she can. Starting the editing before ever finishing is her favorite way to delay. Still, she’ll get there.

And when she does, when she writes “The End,” she’ll push her chair back and take the clichéd deep breath. I will cheer for her – for us. It’ll take a while until she’s done with me. Rumors mentioned five rounds of editing. That’s alright with me. She’s brought me to life.

How do the stories of our other authors feel when she writes “the End?” Find out by checking out their posts by following the links below.

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

Goal update. I’m at about 49,000 words. I’m inching closer to the end, but there’s a lot of loose ends to tie up. I wrote a bunch of red herrings.

April 13, 2026

From your story’s point of view, how does it feel when you, the author writes “The End?”

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Am I For Real? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

March 9, 2026

How much of yourself do you share with your readers? How much do you hide?

It’s a balance.

Like deciding whether to work in introvert mode or the occasional extrovert presentation, how do I figure out how much of me I share?

Because these blog posts aren’t necessarily the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. I am protective of my and my family’s privacy. I may write partial truths and add details that are not true at all. Or, I may just not mention a moment at all.

In a way, I am fiction

With a public image that may be playacting. When I put on my “signing hat,” I slip into my author personality. Real life takes a backseat to the fiction I want my readers to see. At the same time, I try to be open to my readers and yet hide parts of me at the same time. It’s the fine balance I mentioned in the beginning.

Is there anything new I’d like to share? Not about me. How about a snippet from from the book I’m working on. By the way, its current name is Edwards Investigations: The Donovan File. I’ve “only” changed it twice. This one stuck.

Here’s the clip. It’s unedited, so please forgive any errors.

The two block walk in the frigid February rain left Annie wishing for an umbrella or a rain coat, but both would get in her way. She stopped at the end of an alley and tugged her heavy black sweater closed before pulling on the cuff of her white blouse, the prearranged signal. As far as she could tell, everything and everyone was in place. She prayed that Mike had found a hiding spot.

She clutched a hollowed-out Bible wrapped in plastic. It held ten old-fashioned floppy discs—the big ones that were actually floppy. The trade was classified information in exchange for the life of the ten-year old girl.

“The Lord is my shepherd,” she muttered, then, exaggerating her limp, strode into the circle of brightness under the lone streetlight at the end of the alley. Her nose was assaulted by the odor of rotting meat and other days-old trash.

How much do our other authors share?  You know the drill. Check out the links below to read their blog posts.

As always, please stay safe until next time.

Goal update: I made it to 43500 words. I feel good about it.

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March 9, 2026

 

Staying Motivated #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb 16, 2026

From one of Kelly’s readers: What keeps you motivated on tough writing days?

This question is surprisingly hard for me. What keeps me motivated at all? I haven’t made a name for myself, and am barely breaking even monetarily. Some days, I feel like I’m writing into a void. But then I run into one of my local fans, and their kind words cheer me up. Or maybe it’s something that a fellow author says online.

Some days, it would be easy to give up. But what really keeps me motivated are my characters. They want their stories to be told and get upset when I ignore them. (They also argue with me over the plot of the story. )

And is there a moment in your journey so far that completely surprised you?

I am continually surprised by lessons and people along the way. The way other vendors at cons and festivals supported me as I tried to sell books. How poorly I do at some big events and how well I do at some small ones. What has surprised me the most? How much fun it is to sell a copy of a book out of the back of my Jeep at the local Dollar General. The joy I get when I complete a book, when I hold a physical copy of a new story, when I meet a new fan. 

That takes me back to the first question. What motivates me on tough days? The search for that joy, and how I’m addicted to feeling it again.

What motivates the other authors on this blog hop? You know the drill. Follow the links below to find out.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

Goal update: I’m at 38,000 words. Major progress! And the plot finally reached a turning point I’ve been striving for.

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Stories That Will Never Be Told #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb 2, 2026

We’ve talked about stories we’ve revised after many years. Have you ever given up totally on a story idea because you didn’t feel you could handle it?

Either technically or emotionally?

I “write” throwaway stories all the time. Or used to. Let me tell you about it.

One of the ways I used was to tell myself bedtime stories as I lay in bed. A way to settle my mind and keep my mind cleared of worries while I fell to sleep. I wouldn’t call them silly, but they were never meant to be anything serious. A little romance here, a touch of fantasy there, only short segments of stories that would never go anywhere.

Now, I might repeat the same story night after night, making only slight changes, anything to lull my brain into quietness. Fairy tales. A princess finding her true love. A sorceress spending her last days as a hermit in the mountains. Interestingly enough, but although I can write from a male point of view, those little stories never were.

Note: This AI generated

 

But I haven’t “written” one of those stories for quite a while. No particular reason. Don’t be jealous, but these days, I can fall asleep in no time flat. Like within two minutes. There’s barely time to form a coherent thought and rearrange my pillow before everything “fades to black.”

Back to the original topic:

Is there a story idea I’ve given up on?

If you follow me, you know I can’t write a romance. I’ve tried. But I’ve had good ideas for stories. I even tried to write a couple of those. The last one I even finished before I decided it wasn’t any good. There were a few great elements, but it needed more. The concept remains viable, but I don’t know that I’ll ever attempt revising it. (Although who knows – maybe I’ll pull another Annie McGuire and write an entirely new series based on the incident that inspired the original story. Or maybe it can become a Edwards Investigations mystery. Hmm))

There were other stories that sparked in my brain and I toyed with, but never found paper. Not even as a note in my archives. Some of those could have been genres I’m not comfortable with. (I’d use Sci-Fi as an example, but then I write The Rise Of Jack Hennessey which was written 20 years in the future.) Better to think they were the right ideas at the wrong time.)

Let’s find out what the other authors on this blog have to say by following the links below.

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

Goal update: I’m at 33,300 words. I wanted to reach 34,000, but didn’t get there. I’ve updated the name to The Donovan File.

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The Best Writer’s Gift #IWSG

  By IWSG

 

 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts for the December 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, Liza, and Natalie Aguirre!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

December 3 question – As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you ever received?

Easy – the best gift I’ve ever received was a lifetime membership to ProWritingAid. I’d used the free version of the program for grammar and spell checking for several years, but it had its limitations. (I couldn’t check an entire chapter at the same time.) So, when I spotted an offer for a lifetime membership at a reduced price, I jumped on the offer.

Well, not personally. I pointed out the offer to my daughter when she asked what I wanted for Christmas. Like the great daughter she is, she followed through. They’ve made many changes since then, but the basic functions are still a major step in my editing process. (Yes, I used it on this post. And yes, they have ventured into AI functionalities, but I’ve ignored that.) I expect to use as long as I keep writing.

And I give the company props for having a feature to support writers in a replacement for NaNoWriMo. I didn’t participate, but it warmed my heart to see the possibility.

I wonder what gifts my fellow authors have received. The links below will lead me to the answers.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.