Ellis Vidler's Blog, page 19
January 30, 2012
Mark Twain and the Value of your Writing
Una Tiers, author of the soon-to-be-released Judge vs. Nuts is my guest today.I sue by day and solve crimes at night (lawyer and author) and there is much similarity in my two roles. In both I create documents and edit, revise and hone until I am satisfied that my point is clear. To improve my writing, I read and study other works, even old wills. That nasty habit led me to the will of
January 28, 2012
First Lines and Setup
Katherine Heigl and Daniel Sunjata (Ranger)
Yesterday I saw the movie One for the Money, based on Janet Evanovich's first Stephanie Plum book. The opening was a little slow (I think my husband dozed off). The film set up the situation, introduced most of the characters, and worked its way toward the problem. Once that was out of the way, it took off and was fun. Most of the casting was quite
Yesterday I saw the movie One for the Money, based on Janet Evanovich's first Stephanie Plum book. The opening was a little slow (I think my husband dozed off). The film set up the situation, introduced most of the characters, and worked its way toward the problem. Once that was out of the way, it took off and was fun. Most of the casting was quite
January 23, 2012
When Mayzie Flies the Coop
Lois Winston, author of a delightful mystery series, is my guest this week. When Ellis invited me to do a guest blog at The Unpredictable Muse to promote the release of Death By Killer Mop Doll, the latest book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series, it took me no time at all to decide the topic of my post. I had to talk about Mayzie.Mayzie is my muse. She's as temperamental as her
January 21, 2012
My KDP Select Experience--with numbers
I wanted to be open about this process, so I'm giving the exact figures. Sales of my first mystery, Haunting Refrain, had fallen steadily, going from 16 eBooks sold in June to 2 in October. In anticipation of Cold Comfort coming out in December, I did a little promotion for it and reduced the price to .99. It sold 5 at $2.99 and then 10 copies at .99, almost enough to buy a Big Mac. In January I
January 17, 2012
Inspiration
Bernadette Walsh, author of The House on Prospect and Gold Coast Wives, is my guest. A few years ago I attended what was billed as the "Griffin Tree Family Reunion." Four sisters --the roots of the Griffin Tree -- immigrated from County Kerry, Ireland to Brooklyn, New York in the 1920s/1930s. My paternal grandmother, Gert Griffin, was one of the four sisters. As many descendants as we
January 14, 2012
Haunting Refrain
This is an excerpt from Haunting Refrain, my mystery with a little romance and a touch of paranormal. I'm giving it away free for Kindle today, Jan 14.
Martin looked sick. "Do you have any feeling about the person strangling her? Was it someone she knows?""A man, I think. I couldn't see, but I have an impression of size and strength that suggests a man. That's all." She looked up at him. "Please
Martin looked sick. "Do you have any feeling about the person strangling her? Was it someone she knows?""A man, I think. I couldn't see, but I have an impression of size and strength that suggests a man. That's all." She looked up at him. "Please
January 10, 2012
Late Bloomers
This week my guest is Patricia Driscoll, author of Shedding Light on Murder. I'm a debut author. My first novel, "Shedding Light on Murder," will be released by Five Star /Gale in January 2012. But, I'm no debutante. In fact, I've reached a certain age, no specifics of course, where I think I might be best described as a late bloomer.I started writing after my retirement as a probation officer.
January 7, 2012
Finding Those Dead Spots
When I get seriously into revising something, I dig out the highlighters to help me find the dead spots, the ones that put the reader to sleep. I work on a chapter at a time and read, looking for a specific element in the story. Backstory is usually my first element. I highlight everything that's backstory in that chapter with a yellow marker.
Then I look for description and mark it in pink.
Then I look for description and mark it in pink.
January 2, 2012
Right, What You Know
Buy at Amazon
My guest this week is Matt Iden, author of three very good short-story collections that range from "straight crime action to chilling psychological conflicts to darkly humorous situations."
"Write what you know." It's probably the most common opening line in writers' guides. The implication is that your personal experience is an untapped vein of precious tales, nuggets of
My guest this week is Matt Iden, author of three very good short-story collections that range from "straight crime action to chilling psychological conflicts to darkly humorous situations."
"Write what you know." It's probably the most common opening line in writers' guides. The implication is that your personal experience is an untapped vein of precious tales, nuggets of
December 31, 2011
Hunting Characters
Characters
Finding surface-level characters is one of the most fun parts of writing. For me, it starts with visual impact. These are just a few ideas on how to come up with them. You may start by selecting the type of person you need and going out to look for her or him. Try the park on a sunny afternoon, the local mall, or the McDonald's near the high school. Sit with a book or cup of coffee
Finding surface-level characters is one of the most fun parts of writing. For me, it starts with visual impact. These are just a few ideas on how to come up with them. You may start by selecting the type of person you need and going out to look for her or him. Try the park on a sunny afternoon, the local mall, or the McDonald's near the high school. Sit with a book or cup of coffee
