Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds

Difficult to write, impossible to read - by Harini Nagendra

Handwritten or typed? Some writers, even today, will hand write a first draft. Some have 3rd grade penmanship from the atrophy our handwriting has suffered. Do you still handwrite any part of your writing process or are you all type, all the time? 

I'll let you in on a little secret - I am, and always have been, short on patience. A recipe like biriyani, that calls for slow roasting of thinly sliced onions for twenty minutes? Not for me. Caramel custard? Again no... it takes patience to get the c...

Handwriting and the Singularity from James W. Ziskin

Handwritten or typed? Some writers, even today, will hand write a first draft. Some have 3d grade penmanship from the atrophy our handwriting has suffered. Do you still handwrite any part of your writing process or are you all type, all the time? 
I intended to write this week’s post by hand to prove a point, but it was going to take me five times longer to do it that way. So, in the end, I took the easy way out and decided to type it on a keyboard instead. And I’ll tell you why.
First of all, I w...

The pen is mightier

Handwritten or typed? Some writers, even today, will hand write a first draft. Some have 3rd grade penmanship from the atrophy our handwriting has suffered. Do you still hand write any part of your writing process or are you all type, all the time?

by Dietrich

Let’s face it: a final manuscript must be typed. What editor or publisher would touch a handwritten draft, no matter how neatly penned? That said, there’s something special about handwriting those early brainstorming notes or even an entire ...

I'm Typing as Fast as I Can

 

Terry here, with the question of the week: 
Handwritten or typed? Some writers, even today, will hand write a first draft. Some have 3d grade penmanship from the atrophy our handwriting has suffered. Do you still handwrite any part of your writing process or are you all type, all the time? 
 When I worked full-time in the tech world, I’d sneak out into my car every day at lunch and write. Handwrite, on yellow pads. Snippets of stories. Beginnings of books. Anything that struck my fancy. I know no...

Let It Snow by Poppy Gee

Have you ever themed a book or a story around a holidayor a specific time of year? What do you think about writing something aimed ata certain holiday or event? Are you limiting your audience or taking advantageof the season like a singer releasing a Christmas album or a TV show doing aHalloween themed episode?

Nope, but I would love to. I love Christmas movies: I am herefor the faux-nostalgia, the magic and hope, the love and redemption, romance and beautiful decorations, thetransparent ...

It's the most lucrative taaaiiime of the yearrrr! by Catriona

Have you ever themed a book or a story around a holiday or a specific time of year? What do you think about writing something aimed at a certain holiday or event? Are you limiting your audience or taking advantage of the season like a singer releasing a Christmas album or a TV show doing a Halloween themed episode?

Have I? 

I have. But I didn't mean to. When I wrote SCOT FREE, the first of what was supposed to be the Last Ditch Motel trilogy, all I wanted was to start off with Lexy Campbell c...

That time of year by Eric Beetner

 Have you ever themed a book or a story around a holiday or a specific time of year? What do you think about writing something aimed at a certain holiday or event? Are you limiting your audience or taking advantage of the season like a singer releasing a Christmas album or a TV show doing a Halloween themed episode?

I've never written anything specific to a time of year, though I'm not opposed to it. There is something fun about a holiday movie or something that is timed to a time of year. Obviou...

Seasons, Symbols, and the Truth Beneath the Gimmick

Have you ever themed a book or a storyaround a holiday or a specific time of year? What do you think about writingsomething aimed at a certain holiday or event? Are you limiting your audienceor taking advantage of the season like a singer releasing a Christmas album ora TV show doing a Halloween themed episode?

I’ve never set out to write a story centered around aholiday, though seasons often work their way into my fiction—not as backdrop,but as metaphor.

Autumn isn’t just orange leaves an...

Have you ever themed a book or a story around a holiday...

 

 

Have you ever themed a book or a story around a holidayor a specific time of year? What do you think about writing something aimed ata certain holiday or event? Are you limiting your audience or taking advantageof the season like a singer releasing a Christmas album or a TV show doing aHalloween themed episode?

Personally, I’ve neverwritten a book or a story around a specific holiday or a specific time of year,but I wouldn’t thumb my nose at those who do. Funny, when I read this que...

We Will Sell No Wine Before Its Time from James W. Ziskin

We’ve all seen authors dropping cryptic hints on social media about big newsthey can’t share yet. Teasers that spark curiosity but also prompt questions like, Why the secrecy? and Who decides what to share and when? 

With apologies to Orson Welles and the Paul Masson wine brand, “We will sell no wine before its time.”

Vaguebooking

I really don’t have strong feelings either way about it, other than to say that I doubt it’s effective as a marketing strategy. Or I should say it’s ineffective unless th...