Bev Pettersen's Blog, page 10

Happy Holidays!

We’ll return in 2020 . . .

FFF-NAUGHTY OR NICE?

WELCOME BACK, FLASH FICTIONARIES! With the holidays right around the corner, I thought I’d make today’s exercise festive and fun. But don’t be afraid to go dark! Dark can be fun, too. And, of course, there’s always sexy. To celebrate the season, and to give your wallet a break, we are giving away a $25 Amazon gift card, one dollar for every word you are allotted! Woot woot! In 25 words or less, tell us a story about which list you are on this year. Naughty or nice? Have fun and HAPPY...

Tips & Tricks – Speed plotting

I recently attended a conference where there was an hour of round table workshops each afternoon. These were 15-minute mini workshops where the attendees would choose a table/workshop, and the speaker (who was already sitting at the table) would then blow through tons of good info in the next 15 minutes. We’d then get up and hurry off to another table to learn about something new. It was awesome. Seriously. The Speed Plotting roundtable was right up my alley, so I thought I’d share some of...

Flash Fiction Friday!

It’s Friday! Time for another edition of Flash Fiction!

This week, your word count can be as few as 25 words on up to 150.

Let’s get you in the holiday spirit (pun intended). *chuckles at own pathetic joke* What had the first two ghosts revealed to her that hadn’t affected her outlook? What decision had they not been able to change? Had the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come changed her mind, or had it reinforced her to remain steadfast? Does it have anything to do with a past or current...

Wordsmith Wednesday – Blurbs part 2

Last month, we tried the advertising model with three short lines – each building on the next – to draw the reader into your back cover blurb. This month, we’re going to do the first paragraph of the three that follow those three short lines. The aim of every sentence in these three paragraphs is to draw the reader farther into your story with the aim of creating an emotional bond between the reader and your protagonist.

I realize that most of the readers of the Ruby Sister blog write...

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN

This blog didn’t almost happen. It’s late but…. Why, you ask? Life. Life is crazy for most of us, but during the holiday season crazy goes into overdrive. And because I had an unforeseen family obligation this past week which ended with heartfelt goodbyes, my self-imposed deadline was forgotten. Later, when life my return to its track (this morning in fact), I recalled my missed work goals. Thus, a new blog topic popped into my head. Deadlines. Traditional publishers set deadlines for their...

Fiction in a Flash!

Welcome back to Flash Fiction Friday! This week you will have 50 words to tell your story. IKR? So many wonderful options to choose from. But you can do it! Ready for the prompt? This week, begin your story with the words, “The rain fell…” How is it falling? What does it remind you of? Is your story romantic? Suspenseful? Scary? Sorrowful? Paste your story below for a chance to win a digital copy of any Ruby book! Here is my 4:00 a.m. attempt to tell a compelling story.

The rain fell in...

Okay, Maybe We Could at Least LOOK at the Stinkin’ Rules

I know the names of very few young singers topping the charts today. (Do they still do that? Top the charts?) I know even less about their music. If someone played a song by Taylor Swift I might be able to recognize it as hers. Probably not. My music listening tends towards symphonies, operas, jazz (real jazz) and blues (real blues.) Yes, I am a music snob. Play anything Etta James sings and I can identify it. (For the uninitiated, she is the original singer of At Last. No one, I repeat no...

Ruby Tuesday – Winter-Themed Books

Hello and welcome to Ruby Tuesday- December edition!

With the holiday rush and major edits due, I forgot to ask someone to let me interview them. But discussions, learning, and thought prodding must go on even when we are up to our Santa hats in holiday craziness. So… I am interviewing myself today!

I am Heather McCollum, author of Scottish Historical Romance. I have nineteen novels and two novellas out, most of them involving 16th and 17th century brawny, broody Highlanders and feisty...

It’s another Mentor Monday…what’s on your mind?

It’s the last month of the year. Crazy, right?

That means next month we’ll be talking about a blank, new slate…and goals…and resolutions. But first, we must finish out this year, contemplating how we want to end 2019.

So how was 2019 for you? Did you meet some goals? Take some chances? Or was it a year of transition? Maybe you didn’t even get off the ground.

Know what? Whatever it is, it’s okay.

Because we still have time to take 2019 by the horns. SO what have you been wondering about? What’...