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Dorothy A. Winsor

Goodreads Author

Website

https://dawinsor.com/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/dorothywinsor

Genre

Young Adult, Fantasy

Member Since

May 2009

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Dorothy A. Winsor is originally from Detroit but now lives near Chicago. For about a dozen years, she taught technical writing at Iowa State University and served as the editor of the Journal of Business and Technical Communication. Before that, she taught for ten years at GMI Engineering & Management Institute (now Kettering). She's won six national awards for outstanding research on the communication practices of engineers. She lives with her husband, who engineers tractors, and has one son, the person who first introduced her to the pleasure of reading fantasy. Her novels include The Wysman (2020), The Wind Reader (2018), Deep as a Tomb (2016), and Finders Keepers (2015), ...more

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Dorothy A. Winsor I find there can be different reasons for writer’s block, and overcoming it depends on why I have it. The three most common reasons are fear, boredom,…moreI find there can be different reasons for writer’s block, and overcoming it depends on why I have it. The three most common reasons are fear, boredom, and unarticulated problems in the writing. Here are some things that have helped me.

Fear

Writing sometimes feels like undressing in public. You expose your heart and mind for other people to judge, and you fear that they will judge harshly. So to avoid that harsh judgment, you stop writing. If you reject your own writing first, no one else has the chance.

One thing I do when I feel like this is tell myself no one will ever see the piece unless I let them. They’re not going to break into my house or hack my computer and read my draft. So it’s safe to keep writing it. Sometimes I even write that reminder in the journal I keep for each book: “No one will ever see this unless I let them.”

Another thing I do when I’m stuck is say, “A bad way of writing this would be…” Then I write something without committing to it and move on. When I come back, sometimes the “bad way” doesn’t look so bad.

Boredom

Writing a novel is a long haul. You have to keep at it for days, months, even years. I find that sometimes when I’m slogging through the middle, I’m bored. I don’t necessarily think what I’m writing is boring, though that’s always possible. It’s just that I’ve been building it word by word, scene by scene forever. When writers keep veering off to write new, more exciting stories, boredom with the long slog is often the reason.

One trick I use is to plant secrets. I got this idea from a theater friend who said that in a long run, her director sometimes hid colored dots on the set for the actors to find during a show. She said it helped keep her mind from wandering.

The secrets don’t even have to affect the story. When I was writing The Wind Reader, for instance, I decided two background characters in a crowd scene were having an affair. Also, the castle had been built over multiple generations, so the corridors sometimes turned in confusing ways. I decided they hid secret passages.

While the secrets don’t have to affect the story, sometimes they’re so much fun, I decide to use them. The secret passages played no role in The Wind Reader except to amuse me, but I have to confess I couldn’t resist using them in the sequel, The Wysman.

Unarticulated Problems

I used to not believe in writer’s block. And then, in the middle of writing The Wind Reader, my writing became totally paralyzed. I could not make progress. I actually felt sick when I sat down to work on it.

I found I could still write fanfiction, just not my novel. That told me I wasn’t completely blocked. Something else was at work here. I backed off, wrote fanfic, and let the novel sit, though I still fretted about it regularly.

Then, after about a month, I woke up one morning, worrying as usual about my overly complicated plot, and how I still didn’t know who’d killed a tax collector, and how I was going to have to cut a character I liked because I didn’t know how to use her. And suddenly it occurred to me that she could be the killer. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it.

That day, I started back to work on The Wind Reader and pressed on to finish the book. I think that letting the book sit while I worked on a different project allowed my back brain to work on problems I unconsciously knew were there.(less)

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Dorothy A. Winsor You could say the idea for The Wysman came to me suddenly in the form of the main character, Jarka, a street kid with a crooked foot and the ability t…moreYou could say the idea for The Wysman came to me suddenly in the form of the main character, Jarka, a street kid with a crooked foot and the ability to know people’s secrets by reading the wind. Or you could say it came to me only gradually in the form of repeated drafts to figure out why Jarka turned up on my page.

For most of the book, Jarka lives in the nowhere of in-between: between high and low, castle and street, childhood and adulthood, gods and men. This in-between status is what made him show up on my page. It’s what allowed the story to evolve the way it did because when street kids begin to disappear, Jarka can’t stop looking for the monster grabbing them, even when the king orders him to and he desperately wants to avoid being back on the streets. Jarka can’t forget the insight that his in-between positioning gives him. He knows what goes on in the castle; and he knows what goes on in the streets. This leaves him uneasy, and uneasy characters make for compelling stories.(less)

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Dorothy A. Winsor’s books

Average rating: 4.13 · 223 ratings · 140 reviews · 11 distinct works

	The Wysman 4.03 avg rating — 99 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Finders Keepers 4.46 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Trickster 3.97 avg rating — 31 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Wind Reader 4.21 avg rating — 24 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Deep as a Tomb 4.73 avg rating — 11 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writing Power: Communication in an Engineering Center 3.55 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2003 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Winterturn 4.38 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writing Like an Engineer: A Rhetorical Education 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 1996 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Good Hunting 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writing Power: Communication in an Engineering Center (SUNY series, Studies in Scientific and Technical Communication) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Dorothy A. Winsor's Blog

Choosing a book club book

If you belong to a book club, inevitably, there comes a month when it’s your turn to pick the book. Over time, you learn that this can be a trickier task than you anticipated.

Obviously, you want your fellow members to enjoy reading the book. I, personally, can’t always guess what people will like. Last year, I chose Madeline Miller’s Circe, which was an Amazon Editor’s Pick. Several people in my c Read more of this blog post »

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Published on February 16, 2023 12:52

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Dorothy Winsor rated a book really liked it Island of Glass (The Age of Magic:The Glassmakers Book 1) by Ruth Nestvold (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 25, 2023 07:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Island of Glass by Ruth Nestvold. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Island of Glass by Ruth Nestvold <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dorothy Winsor rated a book really liked it If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Seven young Shakespearean actors form a tight group of friends who are tangled in a maelstrom of emotions like those of characters in one of Shakespeare's plays. The book is even structured into five acts further divided into scenes. Eventually, one ...more
Mar 20, 2023 08:03AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dorothy Winsor rated a book it was amazing Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book celebrates and values not just uncommon stars, but uncommon people. There are multiple POVs. Characters are LGBTQ, aliens, a daughter rather than the valued son, or computer generated. All of them learn to the difference in one another and ...more
Mar 14, 2023 10:23AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dorothy Winsor and 16 other people liked L's review of Moira's Pen: A Queen's Thief Collection: "Not gonna spoiler tag this because the spoilers are pretty vague, but be warned that there are vague spoilers in the sense that I mention who and what shows up in the book, as well as who does not! >:( I can review this. I can. I can do it. I’m sit" Read more of this review »
Mar 12, 2023 08:17AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dorothy Winsor wants to read 20 books in the 2023 Reading Challenge She has read 8 books toward her goal of 20 books. 8 of 20 (40%) Create your own 2023 Reading Challenge »
Mar 01, 2023 11:30AM · like · view books
Dorothy Winsor and 9 other people liked Kiersten's review of The Glassblower of Murano: "I was drawn to this book by the promise of reading about Venice and Murano. Unfortunately, I found The Glassblower of Murano to be not so good. First of all, there's the heroine. Leonora/Nora Manin grew up in London but was born in Venice. Her mother" Read more of this review »
Feb 25, 2023 07:46AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dorothy Winsor and 41 other people liked Mark Davis's review of The Glassblower of Murano: "Let me start by saying I much prefer recommending good books over warning people away from bad ones. But sometimes the only right, responsible thing to do is tell others to be wary. This is such a case. Being a history buff with a particular interest " Read more of this review »
Feb 25, 2023 07:45AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dorothy Winsor rated a book really liked it Recipe For Murder: Duxbridge Mysteries by Annie DeMoranville	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Cookbook author Maggie Stellino has moved from NYC to her small hometown to escape a toxic romance and has instead become the prime suspect in the murder of a local chef. She sets off to find the real killer so she can get her life back. Gossip about ...more
Feb 22, 2023 05:31AM · like · see review
Dorothy Winsor rated a book really liked it Flavius Fettotempi by Michael DiMatteo	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book tells a tale of interesting characters in a time period I didn't know much about. The story is set largely in Athens, where Flavius has fled after a failed rebellion in Crete let to his father's death by torture. It's the late 14th century, ...more
Feb 15, 2023 05:31AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Flavius Fettotempi by Michael DiMatteo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Flavius Fettotempi by Michael DiMatteo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Dorothy Winsor rated a book did not like it A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, #1) by Naomi Novik (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I feel inadequate for not liking this book, since most people love it. But there was too much telling for me. Granted, the telling was done in a strong voice, but that wasn't enough to overcome the drag of the info dump. Not for me, anyway. ...more
Jan 30, 2023 08:01AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">