Bev Pettersen's Blog, page 57

I’m 29 (Again!) and Here’s What I’ve Learned

AGAIN !!

I have been celebrating the anniversary of my 29th birthday for the last 28 years. This year, I am officially 29 TWICE ! You do the math. In my nearly 60 years (Good LORD ! That sounds OLD!) I have acquired a B.S. Degree, a B.A. Degree, a Master’s Degree, and a Doctorate. I have learned to speak several languages. (And I’ve learned to curse in even more.)

6-word stories

My baby girl is home from college for Christmas break. Our typical mother-daughter bonding involves the family room, laptops, web-surfing, and utter silence. Today, though, she broke the chain by sharing some 6-word stories that she’d found online.

I left. Dog panicked. Furniture shopping. Our bedroom. Two voices. I knock. Rain. Two strangers. One umbrella. Love. Nothing to declare. Much to remember. He hides knife, then rings doorbell. Late. Speeding. Pulled over. Really late.

It’s amazing...

There Is No Use Denying Who You Are

This is a republished blog postedhere on the Ruby Slippered Sisterhoodas Closet Writers that was felt by many of our readers. I hope it will connect with a few moreas we go into a new year.

Closet writers break my heart. Any reason a writer keeps their writing a secret is just wrong, unless the writing is extremely personal and not meant for other’s eyes. I was a closet writer.

There are many reasons why writers remain in the closet and the Rubies have had discussions concerning them. At some...

Happy Holidays

It’s the blessed time of year and the world, preparing for a celebration is in a spin.

The Rubies thoughts are turning to the priorities of our hearts.

Letting the holiday come and go without telling our readers Happy Holidays would be a sin.

We cherish your support and wish you the merriest of days while we’re apart.

Delight in the hugs given, relish food and the drinks of the season, even if it’s Uncle Joe’s bathtub gin.

Most of all, be safe, and please pray for those who carry worry and so...

Top 5 Tips for Writing Through the Holidays

We all know the holidays can mess with productivity and, for my money, rightfully so. It’s the time of the year where there are more things on our calendars, there’s more time spent with loved ones and quite simply there are just more things to do. (For those in the northern hemisphere it’s also the time when there’s a lot less daylight which has an impact as well!)

This time of the year is important. It’s the time we spend with loved ones and it’s often the time we take a bit of a break from...

Rob Lowe on “Truth Vampires”

You might recognize actor Rob Lowe from his TV and movie career, but in 2011, when he released his autobiography, “Stories I Only Tell My Friends,” the world learned he was a damn good writer.

So when I read his second book, 2014’s “Love Life,” I expected the writing chops. I expected the storytelling abilities. I expected something entertaining, light, and frothy.

Never have I been so glad to NOT have my expectations fully met. “Love Life” is entertaining, yes – but also deep, vulnerable, an...

Make It Real

Our readers do not want to close their eyes. They want them wide open and still feel like they’re stepping onto the pages of our stories. If you read my blog on November 18th, you know we draw our readers into our stories with an emotional connections to our character. But to really make them feel like they are taking a wild ride on a snowmobile, or walking onto a reality T.V. set, or running through a hot, steamy jungle or even stepping back into a time past, or feeling something totally ove...

Announcing the 2017 Winter Writing Festival!!!

Needing a special gift for your writer self? Well, the Rubies have one for you: THE SEVENTH ANNUAL RUBY SLIPPERED SISTERHOOD WINTER WRITING FESTIVAL STARTS TUESDAY JANUARY 10, 2017!!!

If you’ve joined us for the Winter Writing Festival any time during the past sixyears, you know it can be a tremendously productive time, with lots of inspiring support and the magic of REGULAR WRITING SPRINTS held in our cozy Ruby Chat Room!!

It’s completely free, and all writers are welcome—the more the merrie...

Big Hooks -a marketing tool.

What is the BIG hook? Simple. A title.

Don’t believe me, read on. A few months ago, in a reader forum, I started a discussion, asking the question ‘what first grabs your attention when searching for a book in brick store?’ My thread stayed on top for weeks as readers offered their opinions. A great cover was the overwhelming answer with a catchy title running a close second. Behind them were the back-cover blurb and the author’s name.

When I threw ‘the cyber-stores’ into the mix, a catchy tit...

Ruby Cookie Exchange Winner Announced!

Thank you to all who joined us this past weekend during the Ruby Cookie Exchange. We had a great time and we nowhave our grand prize winner.

Congrats to Linda Scarchuk! Linda has already been contacted and is so thrilled.

Happy Holidays to all and continue to watch for what the Ruby’s have in store for you next.