Barbara Fradkin's Blog, page 167
April 20, 2018
Working from Strength
Something occurred to me last night as I was trying to work on several projects at the same time with one eye on my calendar and a to-do-list scribbled on a piece of paper. What I realized -- and should have long ago -- is that I do need that calendar that I had once thought of putting up on my office wall. I need an "at-a-glance" way of planning.
That brings me to the title of this post. My
That brings me to the title of this post. My
April 18, 2018
Keeping Up With the Times
I’ve started a new novel and am slogging along in the jungles of the first draft. When I’m trying to get a first draft to look like something and having a tough time of it (which is always), I often wonder why I put myself through it. But then if I didn’t have a first draft I wouldn’t have anything to revise. I much prefer doing revisions to writing the first draft of a novel. In my
April 17, 2018
Leaping into the abyss
John's post of last Thursday struck a chord. For me, writing the end is one of the most challenging aspects of creating a novel. Some people struggle with the mushy middle - pacing, twists, how to fill 200 more exciting pages. However, for those of us who fly by the seat of our pants, figuring out how to end the book is what keeps us up at night and fuels many an argument on a solitary walk.
The thing about computers
by Rick Blechta
I read Aline’s post yesterday, and contrary to what she said about my anticipated response, I felt only sympathy.
Computers remain a mystery to those of us who grew up in an age where these mystical machines filled whole rooms and the biggest job of a programmer was to produce punch cards, those mysterious things that told computers what they were supposed to do.
We now have
I read Aline’s post yesterday, and contrary to what she said about my anticipated response, I felt only sympathy.
Computers remain a mystery to those of us who grew up in an age where these mystical machines filled whole rooms and the biggest job of a programmer was to produce punch cards, those mysterious things that told computers what they were supposed to do.
We now have
April 15, 2018
Gratitude
I have an ambivalent attitude towards my computer. Actually, that's not strictly speaking true. Most of the time I mutter at it in a surly way and if I tell you I refer to it as Beelzebub it might give you a more accurate picture.
It has nasty habits, like suddenly freezing when I've written a long and tricky email. It refuses to accept my decisions; it likes my documents to have 'mark up'
It has nasty habits, like suddenly freezing when I've written a long and tricky email. It refuses to accept my decisions; it likes my documents to have 'mark up'
April 13, 2018
Beware the Hoodlums!
Ann Parker--science/corporate writer by day and crime fiction author by night--writes the award-winning Silver Rush historical series, featuring saloon-owner Inez Stannert, set in 1880s Colorado. The newest in the series, A Dying Note, brings Inez to the golden city of San Francisco, California, in 1881. Publishers Weekly calls this latest addition to the series "exuberant" adding that it "...
April 11, 2018
Writing the end: How much detail do you really want?
Writing a novel is never easy, no matter how many times you’ve done it. We hear so often the first 50 pages must establish conflicts and grab the reader by the throat; the middle develops characters and the plot; and the ending must not be predictable but also provide a satisfying solution.
When I work on the ending of a book, I’m usually thinking about pacing and twists. What must logically
When I work on the ending of a book, I’m usually thinking about pacing and twists. What must logically
April 10, 2018
National Library Week
I’m at the tail end of my first round of edits for Designed For Haunting, the next book in my Aurora Anderson Mystery Series, but I’ve come out of my writing cave long enough to discover this week is National Library Week.
This is the 60th year of the celebration sponsored by the American Library Association. This year’s theme is “Libraries Lead” and its Honorary Chair is Misty Copeland,
This is the 60th year of the celebration sponsored by the American Library Association. This year’s theme is “Libraries Lead” and its Honorary Chair is Misty Copeland,
Location, location, location! (part deux)
by Rick Blechta
My post last week was a riff off one Aline had published the day before.
The importance of setting is indisputable. Every story is set someplace. If it’s a made-up land, then the writer is free to indulge themselves to the max, but what they write must firmly set their location in readers’ minds. The same is true if a writer is using actual locations — or portions thereof. Job
My post last week was a riff off one Aline had published the day before.
The importance of setting is indisputable. Every story is set someplace. If it’s a made-up land, then the writer is free to indulge themselves to the max, but what they write must firmly set their location in readers’ minds. The same is true if a writer is using actual locations — or portions thereof. Job
April 6, 2018
Weekend Guest Sasscer Hill
Frankie, here. I'm delighted to welcome Sasscer to Type M for Murder. If you aren't familiar with her work, you should be.
Sasscer was involved in horse racing as an amateur jockey and racehorse
breeder for most of her life. She sets her novels against a background of big
money, gambling, and horse racing, and her mystery and suspense thrillers have
received multiple award nominations,
Sasscer was involved in horse racing as an amateur jockey and racehorse
breeder for most of her life. She sets her novels against a background of big
money, gambling, and horse racing, and her mystery and suspense thrillers have
received multiple award nominations,
