Cage Dunn's Blog, page 14

One-Sentence Reviews: My 1st Quarter 2022 Reads

Originally posted on Priscilla Bettis, Author:
I had a delicious list of books to read this past quarter, everything from classic literature to extreme horror. Well, the extreme horror stories weren’t so “delicious.” I definitely needed a sweet romance palate cleanser after those! Here are my one-sentence reviews for 1st quarter 2022: The Edible Woman…

Cats or Dogs

Which is your favourite? Or are you not a fan of either? I prefer cats as my sleeping companions, dogs as my outside companions (yes, they live inside with me – what’s the point of having them guard the back garden if someone gets into the house and threatens me from the front? Yes, it’s … Continue reading Cats or Dogs

It’s All in the Timing

Daylight timing, that is. I have the dubious honour of travelling through seven time zones in a 4-day period once. Training people, so needing to be on my toes, functioning, and fully alert in each location. Add to that managing travel times to and from airports, gathering the tools together, finding the right place to … Continue reading It’s All in the Timing

How to Make the Most of a Beta Reader

They’re going to offer feedback, but if they don’t know what you want, it may not be as useful as you’d like. Make it easy on them. Give a list of questions at the end, or at the end of chapters/scenes. Some things are going to be specific about the story, but a lot will … Continue reading How to Make the Most of a Beta Reader

Read an eBook Week

Nearly forgot. Confession – I did forget. Until this morning, when an email reminded me. So, for anyone who needs a good, free read, and maybe would consider doing a review, this is the Smashwords link to my books –

Time and Tide

Putting it off, regardless of what ‘it’ is for you, is a waste. A waste of a dream, a goal, a level of achievement. How many dreams I had as a child. I dreamed of being a gardener, feeding the world, growing the best exotic fruits and medicinal herbs, and of people beating down my … Continue reading Time and Tide

The Linking to Things

It’s not a sales spiel, it’s not a shove at the reader. What is it? It’s the link to the thing you want the reader to react with, to click on a link and do something. It may be a Call to Action, or it may be a link to something else, a competition, a … Continue reading The Linking to Things

Who Writes History?

Another question first: Why are there so many stories with the same cultural background? That’s the question that relates to the main question. It may not appear to make sense, but think about it. As an example: The Romans travelled the world, conquering and spreading their stories, adapting the local cultural stories to include Roman … Continue reading Who Writes History?

Suspense

The difference between the three main blocks of story lumps and bumps (Conflict, Tension, and Suspense) are subtle. Sort of. Conflict is the external, Tension is the internal, but Suspense is anticipation. In effect, Tension and Suspense are related, but more like third cousins than siblings. What does that mean? It means the reader is … Continue reading Suspense

Chuck it All in?

There are times when it’s too hard to go on, too much effort for no reward, or even acknowledgement. That’s what happens with writing. Years and years of work and practice while forever engaging in learning the skills required. Asking for help, desperate to hear some honest feedback to know what others think and feel … Continue reading Chuck it All in?