R.L. Herron's Blog, page 6

Is This the Year of the Writer?

New Year’s Day is the time most of us reflect on the past year, while thinking about the goals and hopes for the new year ahead. I had a fabulous 2017. My books are still getting great reviews and winning awards. I reconnected with some dear, old friends, had several successful book-signings and attended two […]

Books at Holiday Time

Photo Courtesy of Pixabay. It’s that time of year again. In my neighborhood, holiday decorations are up, houses glow with lights, and the stores are crowded (which I take as a good sign). It’s also a time when we all think again about songs and stories based on the holidays. Maybe it’s just the writer […]

Book Signing

Nevis at Sunset. Last October, I attended the 10th Annual Rochester Writers’ Fall Conference. As always, I got a lot out of it. The host, Michael Dwyer, can be counted on to put together a good assortment of presentations for the day. I meet a lot of interesting people, too. Ambitious indie-authors who, like me, […]

How Do You Define Horror?

Photo courtesy Pixabay. Is it any wonder Halloween comes at this time of year? Falling leaves, wind, sudden chills, early darkness. It’s obviously the season for such things as witches and ghosts. I write all the time, but as All Hallows Eve approaches again, I find myself pondering a new book to follow my award-winning […]

How Do You Make Your Story Stronger?

Photo courtesy Shutterstock. Plot vs Character The plot-versus-character debate is nothing new. Most indie writers struggle with it. I’ve never been one to work from a plot outline, but I’m also among the first to admit that a man sitting alone with his thoughts is a not a story. It may be an interesting, colorful […]

An Intrusion of Reality

Hurricane Irma – Sept. 2017 I’m often engrossed in the writing I do. To the point of ignoring things around me. My long-suffering bride can attest to that. However, as almost everyone on the planet knows, once in a while, life can force you to step away from whatever else you’re doing and make you […]

Using Myth and Superstition

Photo Courtesy Michael Dwyer. Like a significant percentage of Americans, I was absorbed in the recent (August 21, 2017) spectacle of the solar eclipse. While we now know the astronomical reasons for the event, ancient cultures, without such scientific understanding, tried to explain why the Sun temporarily vanished from the sky … with legends. It […]

How to Avoid Promotional Black Holes

Photo Courtesy Pixabay. There are so many potential pitfalls that writers must navigate, even seasoned authors can make mistakes marketing a book today. With hundreds of errors to choose from, here are my choices for seven of the worst ones … Don’t Have a Web Site This is a biggie. Authors absolutely need a web […]

How Well Do You Use Metaphor?

I talked the other day about the use of metaphor adding richness and texture to your language. The strongest metaphors illuminate complex or abstract concepts by translating them into striking images that resonate with readers. They stand out. It was Aristotle who said that mastering metaphors is a “sign of genius.” When you create metaphors […]

Where Do Creative Ideas Come From?

Okay, you say, I’ll bite … where do great ideas come from? The answer might surprise you. In Paul McCartney’s biography, he shared this secret: “… John often had just the first verse which was always enough. It was the direction … the signpost … the inspiration for the whole song. I hate the word, […]