Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 112

Musings before an Author Signing

Today I’m traveling to Peoria, Illinois for my first ever Author Signing Event tomorrow, the Writers on the River event. And I’m a littlelot nervous. More nervous than the first time I had sex, when I only had to worry about one person liking me and there wasn’t quite the pressure to be interesting or entertaining. (I know... TMI, but that's how I roll)
If you’re in the area Saturday afternoon, stop by the Par-a-Dice Casino Hotel!General Admission is only $5 and all proceeds go to benef...

Girl With The Plan

At the beginning of the year, I came up with a writing plan. I called it The Chaos Project because that was the state of my writing brain at that time.

I committed one day of the week to five writing projects, one day to typing, and one day to work on a project that wasn't necessarily meant to be published--I called it the Wednesday Wonder. Some writers have a Sunday Story that they work on but Wednesdays are generally my Sundays. 

If you're doing the weekday math, then you've realized tha...

Setting Your Hook

They - whoever 'they' are...I'm never really sure - say that the first line is what hooks a reader to read the first paragraph...and that first paragraph is what keeps the reader going through the first page...and then the first chapter...and then to keep on reading to the very last sentence on the very last page. But it all hinges on a first line, a first hook, a first 5 to 20 words. That is a lot of pressure to put on just a handful of words!

A first line should set the tone of the book, and...

Bingeing . . .and It's Not Food

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We Are Somebody

I have officially become an old fogy. Not politically, but in so many other ways. I so miss good manners, patriotism, the loving Christianity I believe in, and cursing because you were mad--not just because your mouth was open. 
Seven years ago, I wrote an essay for Senior Women Web. On this day, the 4th of July, I was looking for something that had to do with Independence Day and found this. I hadn't thought of it in years, didn't in fact remember writing it, and still feel the same way....

Lessons from a Crummy Week

I’ve had a crummy week. Not anything horrible or devastating or irreparable. Just… crummy. And while I hate to write a downer blog, especially since my assigned day is Friday and Fridays should always end on a positive note, I apologize if my post seems crabby. Not that they have much to do with writing (oh, I’m sure I could make a connection… I’ve done so with far more obscure topics!), but these are the prevalent themes of my life this week:

Karma is not my friend. I try to be the nice and c...

Twitter Pitching

by Margie Senechal
 
Yesterday, Nan and I both--unbeknownst to the other--participated in a twitter-pitch event for the Deidre Knight Agency. And we both received "likes" from Deidre Knight herself which means we get to send in the first three chapters of the project we pitched.

Liz hadn't heard of twit pitches and wondered how it was done. I've done a few of them--however, this is the first time I've gotten results.

For me, the hardest part is whittling your pitch down to 140  charact...

Because Even A Messed Up Cake Can Be Fixed

You know that moment in Home Alone when the parents jump out of bed and scream, "We overslept!". That was us Saturday morning, and within about twenty minutes RadioMan was outside setting up tables and chairs and getting the pool ready for bebe's 8th birthday party while I was dragging bebe out of bed (she overslept, too), getting her dressed, and heading out to the party store and the bakery to pick up her cake.

She wanted a 'Frozen' themed cake, complete with ice mountain, and it was be...

A Crisis of Apostrophes

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Respite.

I'm sitting in the nook in my daughter-in-law's kitchen this morning. I'm the only one up. Well, other than Bourbon and Blue, the cats who actually own the house here in the Blue Ridge. It's Sunday. Bright and clear and filled with birdsong (which might be driving the feline homeowners just the slightest bit crazy.) It's hot further down the mountain, but not so much here, so the windows are open. This is the view.


It feels good to be removed from the unrest that seems to permeate the days lat...