Roxann Delaney's Blog, page 9

The Perks of Writing a Series

Why would a writer consider writing a series?

I've already blogged about what a series involves and how to keep track of the information involved in writing that series.  Now let's see why a series can be a plus for a writer.

Throughout the ages, series have been written, read, and reread.  Many of them have been written for children.  The most popular include Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter, Little House on the Prairie, The Babysitters Club, The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and Tr...

Taming the Series Beast

There's a lot of information to keep track of while writing.  Characters (description, age, major life events, family, etc.) and settings (houses, towns/cities/countryside with names, buildings, even streets) and plot.  Oh, that plot! And that's a whole other animal.

When a story revolves around a character--or two when it's a romance--it's important to know as much about him and/or her as possible.  Characters, like the story itself, grow from the time we first have an inkling...

Serious About Series?

The idea had never been to write a series, much less an 8-book series.  It started long ago with two books that were related only by the two heroes who knew each other and shared a common profession:  both were rodeo cowboys.  Neither had ever been submitted to a publisher, although they had been entered in a contest or two.  Then along came the need for a new proposal, and because I'd always liked the characters and stories, I dusted off the old manuscripts, made massive...

It's Friday?

Holidays do this to me.  My inner calendar is off. Not that it doesn't happen all on its own and far too often, without the benefit of a holiday.  Don't take me wrong.  I LOVE three-day weekends, especially when they're the more "official" ones, as Memorial Day was this week.  Why?  Ah, because those official ones are days I don't hear the pitter-patter (and blood-curdling screams) from the younger set.  Their mothers get to hear it. ☺

Just to catch up anyone who...

Vacation? Not on the List of Things to Do.

Yesterday, life changed.  Why?  It was the first day of summer vacation for our local schools.  That meant that it was also the first day we were invaded by the children of my children.  Four of them, plus the three-year-old, who is here throughout the school year, will spend the weekdays with us, until sometime in August.  I haven't yet counted the weeks.

When does the writing get done?  Whenever there's a little piece of peace and quiet.  Rare, but it does...

The Lowdown on Writing Contests

One of the members of my local writers' group recently received her scores and judges' comments from a contest she'd entered, and she shared them with us.  She didn't win, but her scores were good, over all, and we discussed the pros and cons of entering writing contests.

Of course our first hope when entering a contest is to win it.  Quite often, the winner is awarded with a read by an editor or agent.  Sometimes a finalist is asked to submit to one or the other.  And some...

The Future is Here

For several years, we've had the opportunity to read electronic books.  It's something I never thought I'd do, but I've discovered that I enjoy them as much as printed book, and sometimes even more.  Thanks to major markets such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple, the three largest ebook retailers, digital sales have skyrocketed.  
This is a good thing.  Any time we can make it easier for people to purchase and read books is a plus.  Reading is good for the mind....

Life is Full of...Stuff

It's raining.  Not that it matters.  At least it isn't snowing, as it did this past Tuesday night.  Not just a few flakes, but at least half an inch.  In April.  Late April.  Not December or even January or February.  April.  And this after the 20+ inches from the big snow in March.  Yeah, I'll take the rain.  We need it badly...if the snow and freezing temps didn't kill off every living green thing around.

Tuesday night was the first time I ha...

Surviving the Insanity

We've all experienced those times when we wonder if we'll beat the craziness that's descended on us.  For me, it's been the past 2+ weeks.  And it isn't getting better.

For the past few weeks, I've been working on what I hope will be the last (or last two) books in my Hearts of Desperation series.  It's time to bring an end to what has become, at this time, eight books, set in and around the fictional town of Desperation, Oklahoma.  To do that, there are storylines that nee...

Never Stop Learning

THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Imagine what it would be if we never learned.

Through our five senses--and even a sixth--there are countless ways we learn.  From the moment we take our first breath, we are constantly using information that comes to us from those senses.  Our brains are using this information to teach us.  As newborns, we quickly learned that a cry will bring comfort, whether it's food, a dry diaper, or the security of a parent's arms.  We become toddlers, whose first s...