Peggy Bechko's Blog, page 40
January 24, 2012
A Writer's Focus
I have a bunch of things to do today, so I'm going to give some passing comments to a writer's focus. The world we live in is filled with distractions. Who can't see and admit to that?
So, it's hard to focus at times.
TV, music, the web!, noisy neighbors, gaming!, DVDs, the web!, Email, cell phones and just regular phones, the web!, friends who think you don't work because you're home writing and creating and just about anything else your creative brain can come up with.
Yep, we're...
January 18, 2012
Writers Websites Wednesday - Use That Technology!
This is an easy one. Roger J. Carlson's site offers great little tech tips for writers. Using macros to improve your writing is just one. There are a couple of others for Word as well. Nothing fancy here, just helpful info. Download the little instruction sheet on using macros to improve your writing, you'll appreciate the ease with which you'll be able to edit your work. 
January 17, 2012
Easy Book Selling
Okay, that title might be a little reversed - what I actually want to say is writers, you need to make it easy for readers to buy your books. And make your bookselling chore a little easier.
Things are a lot different these days as we rush forward into the digital age.
Many writers could well think, "I AM making it easy, I tweet, I have a facebook page, I have an author's page on Amazon and my book is published there in addition to Barnes and Noble and Smashwords...." and on and on.
No dou...
January 11, 2012
Writer's Websites Wednesday - Writer Beware
Writer Beware! Unfortunately there are scams, sharks and who knows what else out there to get writers - the naive, the newbie and the too trusting. But there is some help. Sponsored by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers with additional support from Mystery Writers of America. A good site for regular visits. 
January 9, 2012
Are you a Fraidy Writer?
Us writers are a strange lot. We love to write, we're afraid to write. We want to have an audience and sell books, we're afraid of that audience. Oh, there are some who aren't, but many of the writers I've spoken to over the years do have those fears and most of the fears aren't so easily identified as the ones in plain sight like the urge to throw up or run screaming from a building.
No, many writer's fears are more subtle, more difficult to spot. Signs being thing like overperforming...
January 4, 2012
Writers Websites Wednesday - Scriptwrecked
Scriptwrecked is a great site for screenwriters and those working toward that goal. Lots of free advice and tips. Even found a recommend for The Dialog: Learning From the Masters which is a series of interviews with screenwriters and their craft. You can rent them from Netflix or get them via Amazon (via the link in this post). If sceenwriting is or could be your thing, check this site out. 
January 3, 2012
The Writer's Cone of Probability
It's a concept I heard about some time ago and it certainly can be included in the basis of story telling for writers. Think of it this way - any event, any happening you create for your story can be thought of as the smallest end of a cone - the rest of it, the ever broadening end of the cone extending out into the future. Sort of a writer's nirvana.
This allows for an infinite amount of events to be spawned or calved off from the original event - in fact, an ever-expanding array of...
December 28, 2011
Writers Websites Wednesday - Stephie Smith's Writers' Resources
Stephie Smith's Writers' Resources is just that - quite the bubbling over resource. No articles or tips or anything like that. Just links, lots of links to resources on all things writing - categorized. Visit, check it out.
December 27, 2011
A Writer's Drafting Zone
Let's face it, we writers produce 'drafts' before we come up with our final story. That's the way it works. Don't think there are many (if any) writers who can crank out a great story on the first stroke with no changes, see it published and go to best-seller. So Here's a bit of advice when you're drafting.
First create your mental quiet zone. Unplug the phone, get the kids occupied elsewhere. Do something to let your brain know it's time to write. Put on some favorite, quite music...
December 21, 2011
Writers Websites Wednesday - Writer Gazette
Writer Gazette offers writing-related articles, tips, contests, resources and a free weekly newsletter. Worth hanging out at this site for a bit to see what resources here can help you. 
