by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
I’m in love. Not just with my husband – with Trooper First Class Jim Duncan. Continue reading “Dangers of Character Love”
One of Those Days
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
It’s been one of those days.
If you’re a writer, you know what I’m talking about. Those days where you look at the story and think there is no way you can ever fix it. Then every word you’ve ever written starts to look like horse manure, and you think, “How the hell did I ever think I could be a writer?” and “I think Panera is hiring, so maybe I should apply and be content making paninis for the rest of my life.” Continue reading “One of Those Days”
Unlock the Handcuffs
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Few topics are more likely to incite heated debate among technophiles than the mention of electronic media. Music, movies, and most recently books. A quick search of the Internet will reveal half a dozen stories of how ebooks are destroying reading – or not, depending on your point of view. To self-publish or not. Are 99 cent books ruining the industry. Continue reading “Unlock the Handcuffs”
Romancing the Writer
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Not that long ago, I wrote about a little exercise I was doing to stretch my authorial legs – namely writing a romance novella set in Puerto Rico (a very romantic place, if you ask me). Continue reading “Romancing the Writer”
Evolution of a Character
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
I’ve heard it said recently that character is king. Give a reader an engaging, likeable character (or characters) and he’ll forgive you a few plot holes (not craters, but “oopsies”). One of the things that makes characters engaging is development. Your protagonist starts as one person and grows to become a richer, fuller person – hopefully. Flat characters are hard to love. Continue reading “Evolution of a Character”
Today’s Paranoia: Head-Hopping
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
So, this morning, as usual, I check up on my Twitter feed. Saw a couple blog posts about head-hopping, and how it’s bad (and of course now I can’t find the links – maybe it’s time to start using lists on Twitter). Continue reading “Today’s Paranoia: Head-Hopping”
Stretching My Boundaries
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Last week, via Twitter, I got a link to a writing contest from a tweep of mine. Novella length, 15k-50k words. Due by 1 June. I thought, “That looks interesting.” Just one problem.
It was for the romance genre. Continue reading “Stretching My Boundaries”
Dare to Suck: Part 2
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
So, I dared to suck. I sent the story out. Yesterday, the comments from the editor came back. Guess what?
I don’t suck. Continue reading “Dare to Suck: Part 2”
Lessons from “The Avengers”
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Okay, so I saw “The Avengers” yesterday (me and millions of other folks, judging by the box office receipts). First, if you haven’t seen the movie, go see it. As soon as possible. Even if you don’t like superhero movies. Why? I’ll tell you why. Continue reading “Lessons from “The Avengers””
Taking the Plunge
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
I know yesterday I said, “Don’t be afraid to suck.” But today, I feel a little like this:
See, I sent my first story out to an editor. A real editor. Not a friend, not a friend of a friend. I’m going to pay this woman to rip m baby to shreds and tell me how to make it better. Continue reading “Taking the Plunge”