I look for words in the books, magazines, and newspapers I read. If you have a word you would like defined on #WednesdayWordDay, please leave a comment, I’ll add it to the list. I would particularly like to invite those of you who are not native English speakers to provide words or idioms you would … Continue reading Word for November 6, 2019
Writing and Research
Turning Tropes Topsy-Turvy
(TM) 1997, MasterClips Collection, IMSI PrintMaster We’ve all heard we need to stay away from the usual tropes when writing a story. But what is a trope anyway? Most dictionaries define it as the language used in a figurative sense, or a theme or device so overused it becomes cliché. Other definitions exist, but for … Continue reading Turning Tropes Topsy-Turvy
Welcome to Wednesday Word Day
Late last week, an idea struck me out of the blue. What if I devoted one day a week to a new word? The notion wouldn’t leave me alone, and when I mentioned it to a friend, she loved it. So did First Reader. Thus was born Wednesday Word Day. Without further ado, I present … Continue reading Welcome to Wednesday Word Day
I Want To Be A Tech Writer
(TM) 1997, MasterClips Collection, IMSI PrintMaster What do Technical Writers do, exactly? A lot of things. What Do Tech Writers Do? According to the US Government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Technical Writers perform a variety of functions: “… prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information … Continue reading I Want To Be A Tech Writer
Overcoming Writer’s Block
(C) 2019, JJ ShaunThe dreaded Writer's Block Monster. (I'm no artist, can you tell?) I realize this is a familiar topic, but I’ve been reading a lot about Writer’s Block in the forums I follow. So, how do *I* break through my writer’s block when it threatens to derail my progress? Keep reading for a … Continue reading Overcoming Writer’s Block
Starting Slow
I’ve spent the last couple of weeks busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger. Mostly, I’ve been catching up on those little things that get away from you when you work a full-time-plus job. (My career would have eaten my life if I’d let it.) I needed to talk to a financial advisor to make sure … Continue reading Starting Slow
Finding Stories
Sometimes it’s hard to home in on a story to tell. The Vignette Many times, what comes to my mind is a vignette rather than a story. A vignette is defined as “a short descriptive literary sketch” or a “brief incident or scene (as in a play or movie)”. If you have studied any languages, … Continue reading Finding Stories
A Different Perspective
Last week First Reader and I took our new camper out for a test-camp. We took advantage of an offer to stay four days and three nights at an RV resort in the Black Hills. Now, we ride motorcycles to the region almost every year for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally®, but we’ve never really been … Continue reading A Different Perspective
Character Creation II
Exciting characters make the most compelling stories—at least in my reading experiences. Maybe that's why my stories almost always begin with a character rather than a plot. Well, except one and I'm working on that. One of my first characters, Meegan Redoak, is still rattling around in my head. She and her friend, Skrie, are … Continue reading Character Creation II
What’s in a (Character) Name?
As writers, we spend an excessive amount of time coming up with names for our characters. Sometimes, for me at least, the character proudly announces who they are—name, history, the whole shebang. Some characters are a bit more stubborn and hoard that information like gold. My character Meegan Redoak has been with me for so … Continue reading What’s in a (Character) Name?
J.J. Shaun 