Category: Nonfiction

Begin Anew

“I don’t think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it.” – Richard L. Evans “If at first you don’t succeed, call it version 1.0.” – Author Unknown Check your 2017 to-do list. Were you able to clean out your over crowded closet? Did you drop the weight you wanted to lose? Did …

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Plotter or Pantser

“Secret Sauce: If you’re not spending most of your time figuring out how your characters act or acted, you’re probably wasting your time.” Annalisa Parent, featured speaker, at the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference 2017. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Or are you a crazy combination of the two? Some writers prefer to know …

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Coffee Shop Chronicles: Don’t stare

Smartworld Coffee Denville NJ’ August 2017 I dash in, just missing the rain, and see there’s a problem with my regular table. A woman with a toddler is there.  Her stroller takes up the entire comfy chair area and space next to my usual table.  Drat.  I really need that wall outlet today.  I walk …

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Editor’s Note: Author Promotion Strategies

Sisyphus, from Greek Mythology, rolls a boulder uphill for eternity. With each attempt, the boulder rolls back downhill and Sysyphus must start the task anew. This is the author’s task once a book is published. Some authors think that the publisher does (or should do) most of the promotion to sell their books. They might …

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Havana, A Subtropical Delirium

Have you ever thought of a city as a person, as someone who is alive and waiting to make your acquaintance? This is a new idea for me. It came after I started reading Havana* by Mark Kurlansky. He begins by saying in the Prologue, “If I were ever to make an old-fashioned film noir…I …

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