Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 120

#WriterWednesday: What do you have to offer?

We talk a lot about writing here, as we should since this is a writer-blog. This week Nan's talking about being faster and Liz is a little worried about getting a sentence absolutely 'write'. We've talked process and character building. We haven't talked a lot (lately, anyway) about voice. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about voice.

Barbara Kingsolver once said, "Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; fig...

Am I Truly a Writer and Other Questions for the Universe

Winter has literally disappeared and I’m damned if I know what happened to it. One minute it was Thanksgiving and we were eating turkey and the next, it’s almost Easter and the crocuses are blooming. My personal life has been an upheaval of joys and sorrows lately, but I’ve been working practically nonstop all winter long. Editing gigs are always a good thing, except they interfere ferociously with my writing time. If I work for eight or ten hours, I’m loathe to sit down at the computer again...

A little splash, a little excitement

by Liz Flaherty

There is excitement to a blank page. Or there's a building block. Or there is...blankness.  This morning I'm leaning more toward blank than building or exciting, but, hey, that's how it goes. It does make me think of something. Bear with me--you know I never make sense right away.

I have flowered wallpaper in my bathroom (don't judge--I like flowered wallpaper). I usually have a white shower curtain. It saves trying to coordinate all the accoutrements required by...

Sweet and Savage Release

Happy Friday! With the lovely -- if windy -- Spring weather these past few days, I can barely keep a thought in my head, much less gather my thoughts to write something interesting. Which is totally fine, because my writer peep, TC Winters, is releasing her second romantic suspense novel within weeks, and I'd rather write about that any day.

Or, more to the point, I'd rather she write about her new book. Her characteristic swift-pace is offset with sassy characters, enough unknowns t...

Silence!

by Margie Senechal

During my new chaos project, I've had to shut down my inner editor. It's been quite freeing, actually.

I'm the type of writer who generally writes a few chapters, edits a few chapters, writes a few more, edits a few more...and since Bix ended, this process hasn't been working for me. I haven't finished a manuscript in months--years :(

So, this time around, I'm trying to save the editing until I've typed THE END. I'm using post-its to remind myself of things I might need to fix...

The State of the Desk

It's been a while since I've taken y'all on a tour of my desk...and since we did the whole office changeover thing I have a lot more disorganization desk to talk about!

I've come to the realization that my desk will never be a pristine place. It isn't a complete wreck, either, but I like to have things around - like my chicken-creamer-pen-holder or my most recent addition (because I needed more space for my markers) this antique-y pail with star cut-outs. I added the blue ribbon because I...

Unknotting . . . or Not

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Amazing Grace and Monday

by Liz Flaherty

This past week was springy. We've had warmth, rain, wind, and--here and there but not here--fog. The birds
are everywhere, flashing flirtatious bright red wings and calling their spring congregants to order in raucous, cheerful voices. My cats, both of them reluctant outdoor residents, leave clumps of winter coat behind when they rub up against the bark of trees. Duane and I pick up hundreds of cottonwood twigs in the yard and grumble about it all the time we sniff greedily at t...

Welcome, Kristine Raymond!

Today, I’d like to introduce everyone to Kristine Raymond, creator of Kangaroo Reads, a website for writers and readers. As she says: Sign up for the newsletter; "Like" the facebook page!

“I know the challenges authors face trying to promote their books, especially if they're just starting out.  That's why I created Kangaroo Reads.  It's a place for authors to showcase their new releases, discounted titles, and freebies, and a place for readers to discover their next favorite author,...

Random Musings

I can't explain why, but I've been sitting here in front of my computer for the past hour and I still got nothing.

Maybe it's because I have the news on and like every day, it's filled with politics. Is anyone else as tired of politics as I am?  Why does our primary season have to be so freaking long? And why is it so antiquated??? It's the 21st century, people, why can't we have nationwide primary or at the very least several big primaries. By the time my state has it's caucus--another a...