C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 12
February 25, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Excessive Pronoun Starts and How to Fix Them
During the first round of editing we have been pleased with the editorial comments, but among the glowing comments (which we all love to get from editors), guess what was one of the problems we missed?
Too many pronoun and proper name starts to sentences and paragraphs.
Now, this isn’t the only thing we’ve had to rework, but it is one of the bigger items on the list that is taking a lot more time than we anticipated.
Before you moan, “But we have to use pronouns,” we’re not suggesting you totally eliminate them. Just be aware of how many you use for sentences and paragraphs beginnings, and find a good balance.
Here’s an example of a couple of original paragraphs and the changes we made.
Original paragraph:
She fumbled in the drawer until cold steel met her fingers and breathed a sigh of relief. Baron always kept the gun loaded and ready. She clicked off the safety and crept to the staircase, fumbling for the light switch next to the doorway. She stepped back through the bedroom doorway when her fingers touched the switch plate and flipped on the hall light.
Revised paragraph:
Cold steel met her fingers as she fumbled in the drawer, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Baron always kept the gun loaded and ready. Clicking off the safety, she crept to the staircase, fumbling for the light switch next to the doorway. When her fingers touched the switch plate, she stepped back through the bedroom doorway and flipped on the hall light.
Original paragraph:
He slipped the key fob into his pocket, and his hand touched the two rings. At least he had those. The diamond glittered in the harsh overhead light. He crossed the room to the window and scraped the edge of the stone on the glass. No mark.
Revised paragraph:
Slipping the key fob into his pocket, his hand touched the two rings. At least he had those. The diamond glittered in the harsh overhead light. Going to the window, he scraped the edge of the stone on the glass. No mark.
Each of these paragraphs has three pronoun sentence starts. Not every paragraph had three out of four sentences starting with a pronoun. We looked for a couple paragraphs that were the worst. By eliminating the pronouns, or rearranging the phrasing, we think the paragraphs read much smoother. When the editor pointed this out to us, it was a “Duh” moment that was so blatantly obvious that we wondered how we had missed it.
This item, along with the other things the editor noted, is going on our revision checklist so we catch it before we send the next book out.
Have you checked your manuscripts for too many pronoun starts to your sentences?
February 24, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday Inspiring
Moving Beyond FailureBy Joanne Guidoccio
In her book, When Your Past is Hurting Your Present, author Sue Augustine encourages her readers to view failure as a teacher. Here’s an inspiring excerpt:
It might surprise you to know how many people fail before they reach their goals or experience success. Here is a list of people who were considered failures at some point in their lives:
Fred Astaire was described . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:February 20, 2025
Friday Feature Twist Tie Hearts
Valentine’s Day was last Friday and lovers around the world celebrated with candies, expensive dinners, flowers and many gifts. Donald kept dropping Stauer jewelry flyers in Catherine’s lap, hinting that she should pick something out. She never did, because after five plus decades of celebrating Valentine’s Day a big hulabaloo is not needed to express our love for each other. Gifts, flowers, and expensive dinners are nice (and we do still do these), but it’s the little day-to-day things that keep the Valentine’s Day spark alive for us.
Lest you think there is no romance in our lives, take a look at the picture of two entwined hearts made from twist ties at the top of this blog. There’s a romantic story connected to this picture.
Catherine made the small green heart one day after removing the twist tie from the empty bread wrapper. She laid the heart on Donald’s placemat for him to discover at breakfast the next morning. The heart passed from his placemat to hers for several days as a silent reminder of love. Then, one morning Catherine discovered the larger red heart, entwined in the one she’d made, lying on her placemat. It was an “Awwww” moment for her. So, she created a set of Xs and Os (hugs and kisses) from some more twist ties and passed them back to Donald along with the entwined hearts.
It may sound silly to some people, but we cherish those kinds of little things more than you can imagine. For us, all the diamonds necklaces in the world or fancy cowboy hats and boots, presented in beautifully wrapped boxes on special occasions, don’t shout, “I love you!” as much as small daily reminders do. The armful of wildflowers picked from the side of the road. An Enjoy your conference XXOO note discovered between the pages of a notebook. The I love you note tucked in a lunch bag. The unexpected trinket picked up on the way home from work. A special dessert presented after a homemade dinner. An empty dishwasher unloaded in secret. A clean, snow-free driveway when you expected you’d have to clear it after a long, hard drive home from work. All these things speak louder to us than monetary, showy gifts.
We’re not saying you should never do anything big and romantic. Creating larger than life romantic productions definitely has a place in real life and fiction. Just remember to include daily reminders of your love. Consider what everyday acts of love you can do for your significant other, or your hero or heroine can do for each other. You’ll be surprised how twist tie hearts, Xs, and Os can spark a romantic encounter.
Do you, or your significant other, do unexpected, unusual things to remind each other of the love you share? What little reminder of love do you most remember?
February 18, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Writer’s Block
Have you ever sat with your fingers poised over a keyboard and a blank screen with a flashing cursor? How long have you sat there? Five, ten, thirty minutes or longer?
The curse of a writer. Better known as writer’s block or I just can’t come up with a new idea to write about. How can I ever fill the page with letters that make words that create thoughts for my readers to enjoy?
Perhaps you need to get your mind onto something else. We find that when we’re examining a problem we sometimes get inspiration.
With that in mind, here are some puzzles to get your mind started. See if you can answer them without going to the bottom of this post for the answers, other than to check if you got it right.
1. What English word has all the vowels in alphabetical order?
2. From a word of five letters, take two and leave one.
3. What never asks questions but requires frequent answers?
4. When may a chair be said to dislike you?
Let’s look at that writer’s curse a little more. Thomas Jefferson is reported to have said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do”. Obviously when we’re writing a first draft fiction writer often use two words when one would do, but sometimes it might be a good idea to just put words on a page and see if an idea comes from all that verbiage. You can always edit. In fact, you should.
Now, there are people who don’t believe in writer’s block. One such individual is Terry Pratchett who has said, “There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write”. Not sure we believe that part about California, but Catherine doesn’t believe in writer’s block either. What she does believe in is writer’s avoidance. She’ll clean anything to avoid the blank screen and blinking cursor.
Here are some tips we use to keep from having a blank screen.
Keep an idea file.
We actually have several of these files. Catherine keeps them in a notebook that has first drafts of poems, outlines of dreams, one-liners for greeting cards, and snatches of song lyrics. All these things come to her in the middle of the night and she jumps up and jots them down. Donald is a bit more techy with his ideas as he records them in notes on his phone or writes them down in word on his PC. He does still have a small notebook in his nightstand for nocturnal ideas.
Watch what’s going on around you.
This is a form of the “idea file” it’s just that the inspiration comes from what you see not what you think. We both do the same thing here in that we record ideas from the preacher’s sermon, bits of conversation overheard, a striking piece of scenery, or a person’s posture or looks that might come in handy, anything that strikes us as interesting, unusual, or malleable goes into a note file on our phone.
Read Widely
We subscribe to a lot of magazines and buy and read a lot of books. (Too many in fact, according to the credit card bill). Some reading is for personal enjoyment, some is writing related, and some is just meant as a place from which to glean ideas.
Steal a Plot and Make It Your Own
We’ve heard it said that there are only seven basic story lines (or plots) in the world: man (or woman) against man, man against nature, man against himself, man against evil, man against time … Don’t ask us to name the rest of them because we can’t. The point here, however, is not to name them, but to tell you that the twists and turns, that you create in your story, make a plot new and fresh. Learn to ask, “What if?” Change the characters around. Change their challenges, the goals, internal and external conflicts. Change the setting.
Ideas are all around you. The hard part is learning to tune into them. However, once you’ve figured it out, you’ll never stare at a blank screen wondering, “What can I write about?” Just open your idea file and prime the mental pump.
Oh, yes the answers:
1. Facetiously
2. Stone, alternate answers include: clone, drone, prone, phone
3. Doorbell
4. When it cannot bear you.
May your day be filled with words and your screen with a story.
February 17, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday Characters Life
Tough-Love Approach to BackstoryBy Barbara Linn Probst
I understand that everything we believe, deny, desire, fear, choose, and do is shaped, in some way, by what took place in the past—yet I’m not a fan of backstory in novels.
Think about it. When we meet someone for the first time “in real life,” we get clues about their history and the events that shaped them from the information we receive right then and there—how the person reacts, moves, speaks. We aren’t handed a long biography. We don’t need it. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
This was underscored for me—just as I was getting this piece ready for posting, in fact—when I went to see . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:February 13, 2025
Friday Feature Cookbook FREE
Love is in the kitchen with the Free Cookbook Sweets & Treats for Someone Special.
Remember the old adage, ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’? There may be some truth to that, though I would update the phrase to say, ‘The way to a person’s heart is through their stomach’. After all, food is an intimate experience. Good food creates memories, forges friendships, makes the heart grow fonder, and makes for good dinner table conversations. And food is one of the ways you can show someone that you care for them.
If the thought of cooking a romantic meal or baking a sweet treat for your true love makes you tingly all over, then have I got a gift for you! Cue a romantically-inspired cookbook written by fourteen proficient and prolific authors, of various ages and genres. These wonderful writers have created an array of tantalizing recipes that will make your loved ones beg for more, and even offer to wash those dirty dishes.
Sweets & Treats for Someone Special is your go-to recipe book for entertaining on Valentine’s Day, hosting bridal showers and engagement parties, or celebrating that special event with your true love. Compiled by Sloane Taylor—a gourmet cook in her own right—and designed by mother-daughter duo HL Carpenter, the included recipes offer a wide variety of mouth-watering treats, indulgences, and meals to satisfy your loved ones’ cravings and insatiable hunger.
Oh, and did I mention that it is FREE?
So why not have your just desserts? Literally. You’ve got nothing to lose and sultry memories to gain when you download Sweets & Treats for Someone Special. There’s a recipe for even the fussiest lover in your life. Give yourself a gift during the season of love with a sensual cookbook from fourteen writers who would love nothing more than to share their favorite recipes, and fulfill your deepest desires.
Get your FREE copy, in all formats, at Smashwords.
Bon Appetit!
February 11, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Peameal Bacon
A Canadian staple, peameal bacon (Canadian bacon is a comparable substitute), and eggs have graced many a table every Sunday for brunch, including mine. However, sometimes we do things a little different in our home by cooking a peameal roast as the main course for supper. Served with hash browns, air-fryer roast potatoes, or wedge fries, and veggies of your choice (we love the garden bean medley), this meal makes extra for sandwiches or breakfast. Yum! So get your toque on, and maple syrup out of the fridge, it’s time to embrace Canada’s culture and cuisine. Can you give me an ‘Eh’?
Maple-Glazed Peameal Roast
¾ cup pure maple syrup (125 ml)
¼ cup grainy mustard (60 ml)
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme (5 ml)
1½ pound piece of peameal bacon, whole
Preheat oven to 325° F.
Gently boil maple syrup, mustard, and thyme in a saucepan until reduced to almost half and thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Brush glaze over peameal and roast for about 30 to 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the glaze, until peameal is heated through. Transfer peameal to a large plate and let stand, loosely covered with foil, for about 15 minutes.
Slice roast and serve with your choice of potatoes and veggies.
This meal is perfect at campground get-togethers or cottage retreats when you need a meal in a pinch to serve for dinner or even brunch. Once dinner or breakfast is finished and the dishes are done, it’s time to relax, kick back, and let your meal digest in peace. Depending on the time of day, pour yourself a cup of coffee, tea, or a favorite beverage, and head over to the porch, parlor, or patio and allow a good book to seep into your soul. May I suggest a visit to mysterious Fairy Falls, or if you’re feeling really adventurous, a trip back in time with The Last Timekeepers? Whichever you choose, either series will transport you to another time and place, taking you away from the troubles of the real world.
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada with her spoiled husband and is happy to spend many hours with her amazing grandson.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
February 10, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday Characters Journey
Holidays, Belief Systems, and a Character’s JourneyBy Heather Webb
We’re in the thick of the holiday season from the religious to the nature-centric to the end-of-year celebrations, and I find myself ruminating on this cluster of holidays most of us celebrate in some form or another. How these holidays shape our habits, our mood, our intentions, our motivations. As I sip my cappuccino, I’m asking myself: do we really change who we are this time of year, put ourselves on pause and aim to be better human beings? And how do we each choose to adhere to our belief systems? Are we steadfast and loyal, or more of a cherry-picker whose beliefs have eroded over time and experience and distance from their origins? What is the nature of these beliefs, and how do they form a deep-seeded part of who we are? As you can see, my favorite way to spend the month of December is pairing my champagne and Christmas goodies with big thoughts and deep questions.
For writers, it’s . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:February 6, 2025
Friday Feature FREE! FREE! FREE!
Tips, Tools & Tricks for the Tenacious Writer is the perfect resource for writers who want to know the ins and outs of what it takes to be a published author. Available Free for download… https://www.sharonledwith.com/tips-tools-tricks-for-the-tenacious-writer/
Forward…
It begins with INTENT. Back when I started blogging, I was so green and didn’t have much to offer writers or even knew what to say. I was scared, insecure, and filled with tons of self-doubt. BUT I moved forward with tenacity and embraced the desire to be a published author, and dare I say, Bestselling author. I’ve built my blog, and my writing career brick by brick, word by word until I’ve amassed quite a collection of helpful and heartfelt content to assist anyone who is remotely interested in delving into the murky, yet exciting world of writing and all the challenges a writer might face. Today, I still have a long way to go, but I’m definitely on the right track with my goals and aspirations as a young adult author.
It is my hope that you find the following compiled content insightful, inspiring, and illuminating as you begin your writing journey or just need some tips, tools, or tricks to help you shine in this crazy publishing business. All the best. All the success.
All Systems Go…
First, let me introduce myself—my name is Sharon Ledwith and I write young adult fiction. My genres include: time travel mysteries (kind of like a mesh of fantasy with a splash of sci-fi meets Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys), as well as paranormal stories where teens deal with psychic powers like psychometry, telekinesis, animal communication—stuff like that.
My intention of this blog is to:
#1 Get you to know me as a writer, and post my experiences as an indie publisher of eBooks.
#2 Introduce and showcase my stories and characters.
In a nutshell—market myself and promote my work.
That’s it really. You see, writing is all about the reader. My goal is to influence and empower today’s youth—the next generation—through the stories I create. I believe everyone is here at this time with a mission and a purpose, and every child has something to add to our evolutionary advancement. Children truly are the keys to our future. It is my hope to unlock this portal.
To Grow or Not To Grow…
I am a dinosaur. I freely admit it. No, no, not the kind with fangs and scales—although my kids may have something to say about that—I’m talking about keeping up with the times. Technology is my biggest and scariest hurdle. It is harsh, unknown territory, and yet without computers, the internet, social networks, texting—I could go on, but you get the drift—there would be no growth, no challenges for our wonderful evolving lives. And let’s face it technology DOES make our lives a heck of a lot easier! Dinosaurs had to make way for humanity (actually, they had no choice in the matter), and so, I too must bow to the changes and challenges technology offers OR become like the scaly beasts of the past and disappear forever.
Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series.
The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures
Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.
Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.
Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries
Imagine a teenager possessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with its freakish power. There’s no hope for a normal life, and no one who understands. Now, imagine being uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing much ever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go. Until mysterious things start to happen.
Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.
The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:
The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book #3
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2 Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book #1 Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Legend of the Timekeepers, prequel Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:
Lost and Found, Book One Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Blackflies and Blueberries, Book Two Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
February 4, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight A Man Out of Time
While doing some research we came across a news article about Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who had hid in the Lubang jungle for decades, that got us to thinking about time travel and how our characters would react to a new world. We have a time travel book, or two, in our WIP files, so naturally, this news piece caught our attention.
In WWII Lubang was a strategic island 16 miles long and 6 miles wide on the southwestern approach to Manila Bay and the island of Corregidor in the Philippine Island chain. Lieutenant Onoda was sent to the island to carry out sabotage operations in an attempt to disrupt a coming American invasion. As American troops landed on February 29, 1945, Lieutenant Onoda’s commander gave him his final orders to stand and fight. He did so until March 9, 1974, when his commander, who had become a book seller, returned to tell Mr. Onoda that Japan had, in fact, lost the war.
Imagine what Mr. Onoda must have felt when he returned to a Japan he did not recognize. Futuristic skyscrapers filled the horizon. Television, jet planes, pollution, cell phones, and all sorts of modern inventions we take for granted assaulted him. He was a man out of time—in essence, a time traveler.
It’s that man or woman-out-of-time element that many readers of time travel enjoy. We like to envision how people react to things they have no knowledge about. As a writer, reactions are one of the time travel elements you will have to decide about when you send your character forward or backward in time.
When your characters travel in time are they resistant to what they find or do they accept what they discover in their new surroundings?
Ichabod Crane, in the television series Sleepy Hollow, has awakened in the 21st century after being killed and put under a magical spell that keeps him alive. The shows are filled with man-out-of-time faux paus from asking the black cop Abigail if she had been emancipated, to awed caveman like pokes at alarm clocks and television remotes. Seeing the Planet of the Apes on television freaks him out. He is appalled at the thought of paying for water, and gets flustered by web porn, responding, “I’m flattered madam, but I’m espoused to another.” By the first season series finale he has learned to use a cell phone, even demanding that he get a more upgraded version. In spite of his acceptance of some modern things, he refuses the heroine Abigail’s attempts to upgrade his wardrobe, clinging to his antiquated clothing. He only chooses new clothes when he stumbles across a Revolutionary War reenactment where he purchases pants, a shirt, and a new jacket just like the ones he awakened in. Even then he refuses to let Abigail throw his old items out.
The out-of-time element works to the writer’s advantage when he uses it with the secondary characters living in the past or future, too. In Back to the Future the hero Marty ends up in the home of his mother after an accident. The family decides his name must be Calvin Klein because it’s written on his underwear. He goes with it, because he can’t say who he really is. When Doctor Emmett from the past is doubting Marty is from the future he asks who the president of the United States is. Marty answers, “Ronald Reagan,” to which the doctor says, “The actor? Then who’s vice president? Jerry Lewis?” Then there’s the classic scene where Marty orders a “Tab” and the soda fountain guy says, “I can’t give you a tab unless you order something,” to which Marty responds, “Give me a Pepsi Free.” “If you want a Pepsi, pal, you’re going to pay for it,” the clerk says.
When you plot your story, you have to think about what your characters’ reactions are going to be to the different things they will find in their new setting. The reactions you choose can set the mood for your piece. If your character reacts by poking buttons and doing hilarious things like putting inappropriate items in the blender or causing an automatic voice response oven to raise the temperature to over 500 degrees and burn the turkey (which happens in Disney World’s Carousel of the Future display) you will create a humorous time travel. Should you choose to make the character’s out-of-time responses do things like misfire the ray gun and kill an important character or screw up the transporter in a manner that it negatively affects his goal, you’ll create a more suspenseful time travel. By creating interesting problems he has to surmount in order to survive you can deepen your story.
When you create time travel, look for things that can illuminate your character’s out-of-time responses, be they funny, tragic, dangerous, or a mix. The world is literally yours to create when you write time travel. Travel to the past or the future can net you fantastic stories that readers will love.
Can you think of an item your character might discover in his trip to the future or the past? How would that impact the story or add humor? Is there a time travel story you love with a classic out-of-time line or joke?
