Alas, many a darling lies murdered today in my trash folder.

alas, many a murdered darling lies in my trash folder tonight. 😭
#writing

Memo to self: The earliest chapters usually took the most work, but are most likely to need the heaviest revision. Don't assume otherwise. You may even have to toss some of them out. #writing

One established writer posted saying that new writers don't need to find an agent until a publisher accepts their novel. They were so out of touch that they didn't know that almost no publishers today will look at a submission not submitted by an agent. #writing

My latest chapter title: "A Legacy of Dream-Craft" #writing

I rarely look up word meanings. My interest is usually word nuances. #writing

The hardest thing I've had to learn about writing is that it involves more than beautiful phrases. Things like mood, character, & pacing are, of course, also important, but being only partly tangible, aren't easy to observe. much less learn. Often, there isn't a vocabulary to describe them. #writing

For me, the advantage of switching to 1st person is that it encourages me to get inside character's heads and to rely less on external description. #writing

A good chapter title can be a teaser to interest readers. #writing

Much to my surprise, I realized that the chapter I'm currently revising benefited from a different point of view. #writing

It's never too late. My sister-in-law is in her eighties and her new book is on the bestsellers' list. #writing

If it were possible, I'd spend every minute of a plane ride with my head hanging out the window like a dog.

I have a simple rule: I only talk of what I've written, never about what I'm going to write. As a result, I talk less and get more written. #writing

Writers:

If you try LibreOffice, take the time to learn how to use styles and templates. Not just character and paragraph styles like MS Word, but also page, frames, lists and tables. Styles stored in templates make LibreOffice an efficient time saver. #writing

I view writing as a challenge. I don't deceive myself about the odds of success, but I rarely stay discouraged for any length of time. I always want to know what comes next. #writing

People usually fall for scams because they hear something they want to believe. It's nothing to do with lack of intelligence; it's about hope. The right message can turn almost anyone into a victim.

A simple yet effective writing habit: instead of just beginning at the beginning, my first step is an overview in which I put square brackets around passages to revise or delete. Only then do I dig deeper. #writing

I never valued search and replace until I switched from 3rd to 1st person. #writing

Alphabetical order means putting Descarte before the Horace.

Encouragingly, my most recently written chapters need the least revision and shortening.
I must be learning something.
I hope.
#writing

The more I use alliterative verse, the more I realize how versatile it is.

Unusual settings for my novel The Bone Ransom:
* a legal trial in the market
*a bath house converted to apartments
*a barber surgeon's shop
*a glover's shop
*a town's Commons
*a smithy
*an oracle tree
*a deserted villa
*a hypocaust
#writing

An editing skill I'm still learning: when an sentence is a detail too far and needs to be deleted. #writing

Write in tropes? Actually, one of my ambitions in writing is to use settings, details and characters never seen -- or at least rarely.

It's sort of scary, but I've reached the point where I can knock off a few lines of alliterative verse in a matter of minutes. #writing

Among other things, Beowulf is a study of what makes a good leader. Given the current state of world affairs, this is a subject worth thinking about.

No one gets a movie made from their book right away. First, your book is optioned; someone buys the right to make the movie if they can. The option can be renewed for years with no progress. Meanwhile, payment for the option can be a steady source of income.

Discipline is more important than inspiration for a writer. #writing

If you want to improve your writing style, memorize poems, songs, or passages and recite them sometime. Their rhythms will influence your writing. #writing

"Three more gamble, three more are lost,
From the seventh he has a blade,
'What?' The Dicer says and laughs,
'One man and all afraid?'"
-The Death of Dicer Rungest