I read a post on Twitter the other day asking the #WritingCommunity what their feelings were in regards to using adverbs and adjectives in their work. There’s a lot of debate on this - should a writer purge all the adverbs and adjectives from their text? Can we use a few now and then? The… Continue reading Writing by the Rules
First Draft
I’ve finished the first draft of my first real novel (I’ve made a few failed, half-hearted attempts in the past) and found the process exciting and exhausting. As I noted to the writing community on Twitter earlier this week, I felt like I had run a marathon. Because of that, I’m setting the draft aside… Continue reading First Draft
Highway Thoughts
Whenever I travel by road, especially on the Interstate Highways, I find my mind wandering into the landscape that passes by the windows. You’ve seen those long empty stretches, no exits, no towns or cities nearby, just endless thickets of trees or acres of rolling fields. I often wonder what it would be like to… Continue reading Highway Thoughts
Happy New Year – 2019
Here we are - a new start in a new year. I’m not one for making resolutions for the new year. I think it’s good to have goals, but I don’t like to use the new year as a benchmark. Some goals are easier than others, so some can be achieved quickly (then you’re done)… Continue reading Happy New Year – 2019
Evolution of Language
One of the aspects of reading and writing that I find fascinating is the evolution of language. I’m one of those people who likes to read the occasional classic piece of literature (think Dickens, Tolstoy, Gogol, etc.) and I’m always amazed when I finish an older novel or story collection and then dive into something… Continue reading Evolution of Language
It’s about perspective…
I’ve had a story idea incubating in my head for a few years now, and I think I’ve finally figured out how to write it. Cue sigh of relief. I originally had the idea a few years ago. I immediately sat down and starting writing, but hit the wall after two pages. So I set… Continue reading It’s about perspective…
Time for a Change
Now that the seasons are changing, I thought it would be a good time to update the look of my website. The last theme has been active for just over a year and I was tired of it. I think the site now looks cleaner and more professional. Hope you like it, as well. RB
Acceptance
And on the heels of rejection comes acceptance. I received word that my short story, "Reflections in Blue Water", will be published in the February 2019 edition of the Blue Lake Review. I've always considered "Reflections..." to be one of my outliers. Meaning, it's more of a literary piece and much different from the science… Continue reading Acceptance
Rejection
The hardest part of being a writer, especially a novice writer, is dealing with rejection. It’s something we know we have to face and we try to prepare, but when that response arrives from the editor or publisher or agent, it still hurts. There’s no getting around that. I’ve been writer professionally for almost twenty-five… Continue reading Rejection
Why do we write?
Why do writers write? Other than to get paid, do we really get anything from performing our craft? Is it all about chasing the next paycheck? Is it for that long-shot at fame? Seeing our name in print? Insanity? I believe that most writers get into the game because they have a need to write,… Continue reading Why do we write?