Well Placed Words

Take a bite out of writing!

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 21:03:00 +0000

On one of the many Facebook groups I belong to, someone posted his problem: having multiple stories in the works, but “losing the muse” about three pages in.

As writers we each favor certain parts of writing: some are good with ideas, others love to storyboard their plot, others love editing, and still others enjoy telling the story, whether from an outline or from the seat of the pants.

This guy sounds like an idea person, something akin to an entrepreneur who’s great at starting new businesses but who becomes bogged down in the day-to-day running of the business. Entrepreneurs can hire bookkeepers and managers and other staff. Authors have to fill every role and then become marketing and promotions specialists, not to mention skilled public speakers!

Eek. What’s a writer to do?

Take a suggestion from my cat and take it one bite at a time. Apparently my cat, who had surgery on a blocked salivary duct this week, had an itchy, sore mouth. So she took a bite out of some papers I was sorting (okay, possibly storing) on my office floor. My apologies to Larry Brooks, whose ideas in The Story Fix were good enough to save, and to eat, if you're a cat.

If we look at the whole plot of our writing project, from idea to book signing, it will be daunting. I have found that by promising myself the best part, I can encourage myself to attack the things that are hard for me. I recruit writing friends to help me brainstorm the plot, because that’s a sticking point for me.

Then I treat myself like a dog. I offer treats for figuring out the ending, finishing the outline (mine are bare bones) and slogging through the first chapter. Once I’m into a book or a story, it gets a little easier, so I need fewer enticements. Which is good, because sitting on my butt is fattening in and of itself, without treats.

I know the treats could be non-food, but I like food.

I’ve found that if I write the end (or know where I’m going) the writing is much easier.

Writing isn’t easy, but taken one bite at a time, we can finish what we start. Note the culinary analogies. I can’t help it.

Deadlines also help me. I write a column for our local paper and sadly, I write up to the deadline each time one is due.

How do you get past the parts of writing that you don’t enjoy and complete what you’ve begun?

Baking or Writing, It Pays to Stay in Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:47:00 +0000

I confess I’m not fond of all the lessons life so generously provides me. This week I was reminded that there is an art to baking, and that practice does indeed create a better baker.

In my first novel, Mustard's Last Stand, coming out this October from L&L Dreamspell (yee-hah!), two characters eat scones in a restaurant I named The Blind Chukar, for no particularly good reason. The scones, the characters report, were delicious. So I decided to try out my old scone recipes (the real Scottish kind, not the deep-fried ones enjoyed by some in Idaho) along with some new ones, so I could share the recipes as part of my publicity.

The first recipe was not grand. The scones demand jam and tea, probably clotted cream. I’d hoped today’s would be better. Indeed they are, even without the oats. But had I been baking more I might not have committed the cooking sins I did.

First error: I forgot to add the quick-cooking oats, even though I’d shopped for them specially, since we use Snoqualmie Falls oatmeal for our cereal. Second error: I mixed the butter in for too long, turning my batter into a sort of bread dough.

Here’s a link to the recipe on the Food Network. They turned out well, even with my mistakes. I’ll let you know when I do it right.

Like the scones, a book may be OK without, for example, enough conflict (oats or cinnamon), or if it is over-edited until the life is gone. But it’s going to be more delectable when we add interesting characters with goals, obstacles to those goals, and the character’s determination to achieve goals despite obstacles. If you add the right ingredients and give them a good mixing (editing … okay, my analogy is weakening), you’ll have a finished product readers want to gobble, again and again.

How do you get your books and/or your scones to soar? What do you find to be the essential ingredients?

Don't Dress Your Puppies in Cashmere

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Six years ago I made a mistake.

Where did I go wrong? I tried to dress my puppy in cashmere. The puppy probably wasn’t happy and now, after several years’ more experience editing others’ words, I understand why.

You may be wondering why I tried to dress my puppy in cashmere. More likely, you’re wondering what the heck I mean by the silly phrase. You’ll understand soon. But first … the story.

I was accepted to speak at a Toastmasters’ convention. Woo hoo! I was excited to share some of my thoughts on words with other speakers. Then … I got scared. Who was I to tell these incredible, talented speakers anything? What did I know?

So I decided to rely on more knowledgeable folks for the training I would give. I’d recently completed an online course about editing fiction from a remarkable person. She had made a study of how using figures of speech can strengthen our writing. It worked for her and for many others.

What are figures of speech? Also called rhetorical devices, they are words or phrases that differ from ordinary literal speech to make a point or an interesting comparison or contrast. I think of the word figure as a little drawing. A figure of speech shows us more vividly than standard language. We learned about the common figures of speech in school: similes (comparisons using like or as), metaphors (comparisons without using like or as … my love is a red rose, my dog is a pussycat), understatement.

Yes! I would dazzle my audience with these words. After all, who knew what an Epizeuxis was, let alone how to pronounce it? How often do the folks in my audience use anaphora?

They will be stunned and amazed at my brilliance!

I’m sure they were stunned and amazed at something. Fortunately I did offer some good suggestions in the rest of my presentation. Ideas like keeping things simple.

Did I consider listening to my own advice?

Who needed to know the definition of epizeuxis? Epizeuxis? Is that related to scarlet fever? It is, actually, the repetition of a word for emphasis. For example: Simple. Simple? What was I thinking talking to them about words like epizeuxis and anaphora? Maybe, it helps speakers to know about figures of speech. More likely however, it simply confuses them and causes them to use language that is not their own.

I made the mistake of trying to dress my puppy in cashmere: trying to make a presentation that was fancier than I am, trying to show off all that I supposedly knew about words and speaking.

The most important lesson I could have shared was this:

Develop your voice — your speaking voice and your writing voice. Develop your voice — the voice that is uniquely yours. Develop your voice — don’t mimic someone else’s. When you speak and when you write, use words you’re familiar with and phrasing and sentence structure that is comfortable for you. Of course it is important to understand your audience, their needs, their style, their backgrounds and biases. Then speak or write to them in language that is your own.

I used anaphora in the previous paragraph. It is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of three or four successive phrases or sentences.

It actually works pretty well in suspense novels: Blood covered the walls and floors. Blood stuck to the soles of my tennis shoes. Blood rushed from my head and I fainted.

But a rhetorical device only works for your audience if it works for you.

Other than avoiding the use of jargon, acronyms and vulgar language — even if they are your style — it’s a good idea to sound like yourself when you write and when you speak. It’s never wrong to venture into areas you’re unfamiliar with: Trying humor, for example, if you are ordinarily serious, or learning about a topic so you can share it with others. However, even then you probably have a voice that is uniquely your own. Don’t try to hide it in flowery language or complex sentences just because you think that might be more formal. It won’t come across as formal — only off-putting.

Voice involves a lot of things. It can be as simple as ironic humor or as complex as the beats used in phrasing and dialogue.

An over-zealous editor can deaden a writer’s voice until it is unrecognizable. Some people LIKE to start sentences with And or But. Some people like shorter, more staccato phrasing, while others like the flow of longer, more complex sentences. Do what works for you.

When you write and when you speak, try not to dress your puppy in cashmere. Unless, of course, your pup is the cashmere type.

Five Ways to Please Your Audience

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Parasailers in Aruba

“You can’t control the wind but you can adjust your sails.” Yiddish proverb

Hooray for Kristin Armstrong! Our Boise cyclist and Olympic competitor conquered some strong gusts and sailed in for the gold in the time trials in London yesterday. She didn’t let a fall in the team race, a broken clavicle and a number of other obstacles stop her. She simply worked smarter and harder and won. Strike “simply.” Nothing simple about her hard work, training and dedication.

I’m doing some sail-adjusting on my blog. I write a column on business communication for our local paper that has ideas applicable to all writers. I’ll be cutting and pasting from those columns for some of my posts.

In addition, my novel, MUSTARD’S LAST STAND, will be coming out soon from L&L Dreamspell. It deals, rather frivolously, with environmental issues. Thus I’ll be adding some of those topics to my blog.

The prevailing winds in writing could easily be likened to your changing audiences. Here are five points you need to understand about your audience.

1. Keep your audience in mind: Every communication should be targeted to a specific audience. Know before you write who will be reading your words. Use words they’ll understand and avoid words that will offend or confuse them. This applies to fiction as well as business writing. Janet Evanovich knows her readers and their expectations and delivers the kind of book they are anticipating. Good fiction writers know that a story needs conflict to retain readers’ attention.

2. Your first audience may not be your last: Emails and other business documents are passed on to others who might not understand your acronyms or organizational jargon.

3. Start with the end in mind: Dr. Stephen Covey’s second habit of highly effective people applies nicely to our words. What do you want the person reading your words to know or do? Your words should lead them to that conclusion or that action.

4. Be sure they know why you’re writing them: Make clear why each recipient is on the distribution list. Want a response? Ask for it. Want someone to do something? Tell them. Need to send bad news? Don’t hide it in lots of big words. Use short sentences and simple words.

5. Respect your audience: Proofread your words. Keep your communication short (everyone’s busy). Again, this also applies to fiction and creative non-fiction. Understand that today’s readers are different than those of a century or even a couple of decades ago. Get to the point.

Fiction writers: Do you keep your audience in mind as you write?

Business writers: Do you know who your target audience is?

In Memoriam, John Tinker

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Tue, 29 May 2012 01:31:00 +0000

John Morgan Tinker: July 13, 1946 - May 25, 2012
Vietnam veteran, medic awarded multiple Purple Hearts
Father of Caroline Tinker

Like so many others, my ex-husband spoke rarely of the injuries that took him out of the war in Vietnam. He recently shared some memories of that final battle with our daughter as he fought the liver cancer that took him this month. John was a Navy medic assigned to a Marine unit.

His ashes will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Thank you for your service to our country and for being the father of our wonderful daughter.

In memory of John and so many others who served our country.

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:06:00 +0000

Earth Day. A day to honor our mother.

I took this photo on Easter, two weeks ago. By now, those small shoots in the front have grown much higher, the daffodils have faded and tulips have bloomed nearby.

Only a few of the gifts from Mother Earth.

I am so grateful. To be alive and part of the world, to see the double rainbow I saw last Wednesday, to spend time with my friends and family walking Idaho's hills. To learn how to better put together words that honor nature, life, love, laughter.

Thanks, Mom.

Happy Easter!

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 22:38:00 +0000

My wishes are a bit late. Couldn't get my camera to upload the images to my laptop this morning. It's a lovely day in Boise, Idaho. Took a walk and saw lots of our neighbors out enjoying the sun, searching for eggs and preparing to feast.

Happy Easter to all.

Story is All

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:09:00 +0000

Not much conflict here!

Tell me a fact and I'll learn. Tell me a truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever. - Native American Proverb

Last weekend I attended a wonderful two day workshop called Screen Story Workshop. It was led by Lance Thompson, a screenwriter and script doctor.

Using example, lecture, hands-on practice and some terrific props, Lance taught us that as in novels, in films, story is all.

In film, the art of “show don’t tell” is not just a nicety, it is a necessity. The screenwriter must find ways to show us the emotions and ambitions driving the main character(s). There’s no chance to simply say, “Webster, a hard-driving man who is willing to take big risks, wanted to find the treasure.” Those traits must be seen through his actions, his dialog, the decisions he makes or doesn’t make and how other people react to and talk about him.”

One lesson of interest to me is how little the good screenwriter puts in the scene description and the description of characters. Lance believes this falls to the actors, directors and casting people, rather than the screenwriter. The way the reader of the script understands characters is through the actions and decisions they make. Plus the obstacles they face and how they choose to overcome them.

I left with a bundle of ideas, a long list of good films to see, and a determination to make my novel more visual and visceral. And maybe one day to try my hand at a screenplay.

Do any of you write both screenplays and novels? Do you see any crossover benefits?

Show Don't Tell, in the Right Proportion

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:56:00 +0000

I am an e-talent scout for a new e-publisher, BarbarianBooks. Thus I have the honor of reading some of the submissions they have received. Because I am an editor it is difficult for me to look beyond the misspellings and poor grammar of some submissions, but I try, because the publishers are looking for great stories more than impeccable punctuation.

We have found some terrific books. We have also received some from writers who have yet to master a basic concept. I understand, because it is a hard one for me when I’m writing fiction.

The concept is “show, don’t tell.” It is a baseline requirement of a good story. The idea is to allow the reader to see what’s going on in your story, over the shoulder of a character or through that character’s eyes. When I read a great scene, I am so drawn into it that I’m on occasion surprised to find myself in my home, not in the story’s setting.

A scene that accomplishes showing rather than telling is happening now, and is not an explanation of what happened in the past.

It is showing how your character feels, not naming the emotion (telling).

The kids forgot to do the dishes again. Marsha was furious. When you define the emotion, you are telling. When you paint a picture of what is happening in the scene and in the character’s head and heart, you are showing.

Marsha yanked the faucet on, shoved the plates under the running water and stared into the sink as it filled. She heaved a sigh and bellowed, “Am I a slave in this house?”

There you have some showing. Now, stop.

As Renni Browne and Dave King say in SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS, resist the urge to explain. (R.U.E.). Don’t slip in a little explanation: Marsha was angry, or Marsha was sick to death of having to do all the housework. You showed that already.

Some telling is necessary. It’s called exposition and is the way we move the story along, letting readers know quickly what’s gone on before, or the relationship of one character to another. It’s a good way to get from one place to another without showing every mile driven or step hiked.

The secret is in knowing when to tell and when to show. It will make the difference between readers who forget where they are and those who close the book.

How about you? Do you have trouble finding the balance between showing and telling? Do you enjoy books with more telling or with more active scenes?

Humor: Is it in our DNA?

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:51:00 +0000

This is, I believe, a repeat post. With the new Blogger, I can't figure out how to search for old ones. It is updated with some photos. And I think it is worth repeating. Right now I'm working on a submission to the Erma Bombeck essay contest. So I'm thinking funny.

Is the photo of dog, cat, rat, that I took in downtown San Francisco, humorous or poignant or simply bizarre?

How about the one of my daughter imitating a clever sculpture? Funny? Amusing? Silly?

Woody Allen said “I think being funny is not anyone’s first choice.”

When I started writing fiction, being funny was not my first choice. However, it seeped in, despite my best efforts. And I came to accept it and appreciate it, and on occasion, laugh out loud.

I grew up in a household where humor was one of the few emotions that was openly embraced and endorsed. More often than not, it was sarcasm. The sarcasm usually wasn’t intended to hurt anyone, but it did have thorns.

In my thirties I visited Scotland and concluded that the sense of humor we’re given may be genetic. I was on my own, yet I immediately felt right at home, chiefly because of the barbed humor that I encountered daily. Like the day I sought directions from men in a service station. I headed toward the building and missed the entrance. Through the window, one of them shouted, “Do you plan to come in through the window, then?” He could have been my father.

No wonder the flower of Scotland is the thistle and the motto of my clan is “Touch not the cat but a glove.”

Comedians often trace their funny bones to their parents or grandparents. Sociologists tell us everyone has a sense of humor, but my theory is that it differs by region and country of origin. Possibly I could get a grant to study that and investigate those who claim to have no sense of humor.

Until then, I guess I’ll cherish Billy Graham’s thoughts on humor: “A keen sense of humor allows us to overlook the unbecoming, understand the unconventional, tolerate the unpleasant, overcome the unexpected and outlast the unbearable.”

Update: I have recently encountered a few people in whom I could not find a funny bone. Is it the times?

How about you? Do you read humor? Write it? Love it? Hate it?

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:51:00 +0000

Excerpt from the New York Sun editorial, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus:

The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

I wish you all the wonders seen and unseeable, and the joy that comes from believing in them.

No Cats Were Injured and ... a Different Book Marketing Technique

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:13:00 +0000

The tree is up. So are our outdoor decorations. Check the photos and you'll find our dog, Mattie, helping set up the outdoor decs (notice the lack of snow). Our cat Abigail is holding court under the tree. She and the other cat fight for space, but they have no inclination to climb the tree.

On to a writing topic: Yesterday I received a "re-gifted" book in a white elephant exchange at my Toastmasters club. It is a motivational book by Dale Henry. I haven't had a chance to read the book yet, but the marketing approach is fascinating. (I'd call it unique, but I don't know if it has never been tried before or since.) The paperback came packaged in a tin can. The title is Ten Cans, with the tagline "Are You an Opener?" Pretty clever. Instead of nutritional information, the can has "Inspiration Facts," with for example a 100% daily value of optimism, enthusiasm, wisdom, etc.

I think this is a terrific approach to marketing, but I'm worried about bookstores finding shelf space. What do you think?

I had a terrible time getting to the dashboard on Blogger, part of the reason for my delay in posting. Still, I'm grateful for all these wonderful new social media. I hope to conquer my blog and post more in 2012.

Christmas wishes to all.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 03:50:00 +0000

I hope your Thanksgiving (if you're in the U.S.) was wonderful and filled with gratitude.
Ours was.
We tried a couple of new recipes -- cranberry relish made with Port and a fabulous cornbread - cranberry stuffing from the Boise Co-op's blog. Both were delicious!

I am so grateful that we love to cook, love to eat and have the stamina to cook, eat and clean up!
It was an altogether good day, spiced with exploring my new subscription to Cook's Magazine and a couple of Christmas mysteries by Anne Perry.
Blessings to you and yours.

EVILLE: Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:47:00 +0000

Many would classify EVILLE by first time author Holand Peterson, a sci-fi fantasy adventure. I classify it as fun and worth reading.

Alex Hobbs, alone, loveless, jobless, and very recently homeless, accepts a job that appears almost too good to be true. Of course it is. He is plunged into the bizarre world of Eville, employed by a deranged inventor, mercilessly picked on by her cynical, crabby housekeeper. And facing constant, terrifying threats to his sanity and his life.

Encountering an assortment of even odder characters, Alex and his employers begin a journey that is at the same time frightening, absolutely funny and oddly compelling.

This is a great start of a fun series. It took me a chapter or two to be hooked by the story, but stay with it and you’ll be rewarded. Peterson’s quirky humor outweighed some grammatical issues that might have been caught with one more round of editing. Go get EVILLE. It's in print and on Kindle.

NaNoWriMo in an Hour?

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:31:00 +0000

At my Toastmaster’s meeting today, I was asked to fill the role of a missing club member, that of Table Topics Master. For Table Topics in Toastmasters, we must speak for one to two minutes on a topic assigned by the Topics Master.

Without time to prepare questions, I decided to let the club do the work. I explained that November is National Novel Writing Month and told them I’m participating in the challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

I gave them the assignment of creating a novel. The first person I selected chose the era and setting, the next the protagonist. Others contributed to the convoluted plot.

What fun! I was fascinated by the creative embellishments of each speaker. Because I just completed a class on conflict from WriterUniversity, I thought afterward about how the direction of the “plot” changed according to the personality of the speaker. Some added humor, others romance, others a rational, logical touch.

Oh, did I mention I started out as the heroine and ended up a murderer on the lam?

When we write, when we speak, when we’re forced into improvisation, our personalities and style come out, whether we try to use them or hide them. Guess that’s why my mysteries tend to be humorous and why my efforts to write romantic scenes often end in a tangle of arms and laughter rather than passionate declarations of love.

Trying to force ourselves into a genre or a writing style that doesn’t fit may be less comfortable than donning a pair of jeans that is two sizes too small.

What are your thoughts? Can you write against “type?” How does it feel when you try?

And, are you answering the call of NaNoWriMo this year? Here’s to deadlines and friendly competition.

Passion Pays Off

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:32:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I passed a local community theater and thought, “Maybe I should just give up writing fiction and try out for a play. That would be fun. Or spend more time volunteering with the Boise Bicycle Project. Maybe no one will ever read my novels.”

But I kept working on my latest humorous mystery and on my articles about business writing and on my editing assignments. I signed up for another class on fiction writing. Because, you see, I’m passionate about words.

The good news is that someone agreed. I now have a contract for MUSTARD’S LAST STAND. It will be published in print and electronically by L&L Dreamspell in the 3^rd quarter of 2012. Hooray! Woo hoo. At long last, someone agrees that my story should be shared. I am delighted. And honored and inspired and frightened and all those wonderful emotions that I’ve shared with many of my writing friends. L&L Dreamspell is the same publisher that has published my friend Conda Douglas’s story in one of their anthologies and will be bringing out her mystery, Starke Naked Dead in the spring.

So I shall continue my writing journey, following my passion for words. As you should. If you are passionate about writing, keep writing. Keep learning. Keep practicing and discovering ways to improve.

And when you are crafting your characters, consider their passions. What will they give up for their passion? How far will their passion drive them? Are they single-mindedly passionate or do they spread their interests? Do they feel more passion for animals, people, things, causes? Giving some thought to what drives your characters will help you make them real to your readers.

You may notice that my characters care a lot about food. I think that’s one way another of my passions sneaks into my writing.

How about you? What are your passions and how do they find their way into your writing?

Point of View Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:42:00 +0000

It's harvest time. Here's a picture of the dry bean harvest from my garden. I have a lot to learn about gardening, but it sure is fun. Right now I'm seeking recipes that need 1/2 cup of beans. Aren't they pretty?

Advice to writers who announce a return to posting on their blogs: Don’t do it the same week you buy a new laptop and are then forced to buy a new printer and get everything working again.

I have been reading and editing a lot lately, perhaps more than normal since I will soon be working with Barbarian Books to consider manuscripts being submitted for publication. Yes, the new ebook publisher is accepting novel length mysteries/crime, thrillers, horror, and romance. And they know how to market genre fiction, a big help to beginning authors.

Back to what I’ve seen lately that helps make a book a great read.

A good plot’s important. You bet. More important to me, however, are the characters doing whatever they’re doing and their reasons for doing it. Understanding and establishing the right point of view (or points of view) for your story will help you portray these characters and their emotions. The right point of view helps you show emotion and establish conflict. It also allows you to let the reader inside the head of your characters and thus feel more committed to discovering what’s going to happen to them.

It’s the easiest way to move from telling about something to showing what’s going on. When you reveal a scene through the eyes of the character who cares most about its outcome, the scene takes on power and emotion.

A story can talk about a hanging, let’s say. It can show a crowd of onlookers, and tell us they are watching because they’re pleased that a notorious killer is meeting justice. Tell us, however, from the eyes of the daughter of the killer’s third victim, and we care more. Tell us from the eyes of a woman who escaped his knife and helped in his capture and we perhaps care even more. We’ll see different details and feel different, stronger emotions. If we’ve had the chance to meet the daughter or the would-be victim before, seen her do something that endears her to us, we’re likely hooked. She need not save a kitten. She could simply exhibit a few natural emotions and frailties that we can identify with. We’ll want to know what happens next.

A strong, close point of view helps tell a stronger story.

I think first person point of view is easiest to work with when you’re new to writing.

What are your thoughts?

Back in the Blogsaddle

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:21:00 +0000

Any number of reasons, read excuses, come up for the long hiatus in posts to my blog. Time is a limited resource, as we all know, and for a few months I chose to spend that resource elsewhere. I'm back, eager to post and start browsing other blogs. No saddle sores anticipated.
What's new? I have started a column on business writing for our local paper and am seeking other outlets for it. I’ve been busy editing some fascinating books and learning a lot, one of the benefits of editing business books. When I edit fiction, I get to help a good story become a better read. Fun job!

For this blog, I’ve chosen to focus on my love of words and my passion for writing fiction, with the occasional rant about faulty grammar and writing mishaps. I continue to work on my own fiction and submit it for consideration.

I took an online class from Laurie Schnebly Campbell that I found invaluable. Called Plotting via Motivation, she guides students through a book using the protagonist’s (and others') motives as guideposts. Hint: Dig MUCH deeper than you have before. I highly recommend it and other workshops by Laurie. You can find more at her site and at Writer University, started by Laurie and Mary Buckham. Next month’s class on “Conflict with a Capital C,” taught by Mary using Laurie’s content, is on my list.

For my next post, I’ll let you know about the book on social media I edited last month. It has some valuable information. And I'll announce a new publishing venture by friends of mine that should interest you.

Have you any classes or books to recommend? I’ll be speaking about mistakes made by beginning fiction writers next week and would welcome your ideas on those, as well.

Lose the Dialect or Vive la Difference?

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:31:00 +0000

Today I gave a speech on the power of words and how we can use that power in our writing and speaking. I LOVE words and love to help others make their words work for them.
However, this morning I read a question to an advice columnist asking how one might get a new friend to lose his north Michigan "Fargo" accent.
No, no, no!
Getting words right, helping our words sparkle, doesn't mean the objective is that we all write/speak the same way. It means we celebrate our uniqueness with joyous (or sorrowful, should that be the emotion of the moment) clarity and concise, appropriate words for our audience.
Unless that man wishes to become a public speaker or cannot be understood by anyone, his new "friend" should leave him and his distinct flavor of Americanese alone.
I love meeting people with accents and dialects different from mine. They serve as great conversation starters.
So, what do you think? Am I crazy in celebrating the differences? Or have I simply not met someone whose dialect served to isolate her or him?

Celebrating Creative Women

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:37:00 +0000

Last weekend I went to LunaFest, a film festival by and about women sponsored by Luna Bars. These are short films, between four and twelve minutes long. Four are animated, several have already won awards, all are wonderful: moving, disturbing, amusing. I left feeling inspired and amazed by the creativity of women. Check the calendar at LunaFest.org and if there’s one scheduled in your area, go. You will not be disappointed.
Locally, the authors of An Eclectic Collage have a signing this Saturday in Eagle. Twenty-eight women contributed to this book. And the publisher, Jane Freund of Freundship Press, found a way to celebrate this varied creativity.

I’d love to see you. And the cookies are great, with the cover of the book as the icing. More creativity!

Made Up Words: Love Them or Leave Them Alone?

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:12:00 +0000

What’s your take on made up words?

In my last post, I played around with a description for the stories I was reviewing and came up with eerilicious to describe them.

A couple of years ago I won a contest on addictionary.com for making up, with the assistance of my husband, the word conflictipated. Adjective, meaning seriously unable to make a decision due to too many conflicting choices; indecisive to the point of pain.

In 1961, Yi-Fu Tuan, introduced the term topophilia, the feeling of affection which individuals have for particular places, from a room to a nation.

I like that one a lot. How about tapaphilia, a feeling of affection for the incredible small plates of Spain? The tapas alone made me a Spain topophiliac after our visit earlier this year.

My husband recently introduced another word to our lexicon. We live in a sub-division with parkways and walking paths between homes. When we walk our wonderfully silent dog we are greeted by a symphony of barks from the neighbors’ dogs. So my spouse renamed those paths, barkways. Perfect.

I’m reading True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman. At one point he describes the leggings worn by a character who has taken up painting as “paint pollocked.” An apt tribute to the abstract artist, and a made up word.

Do such new words work for you? Or should they be stomped out to retain the purity of our language?

Two Recent Reviews: Eerilicious Short Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:38:00 +0000

I recently reviewed a story and an anthology of stories on Amazon. This was my first venture posting a review on Amazon. Wow. Easy. Fun. Cool.
Here are my two reviews. I will have to come up with my own system of rating, if I continue this. Until then, I'll just say both deserve high ratings. And that the cover for Changing Woman Ways is absolutely spellbinding.

This review is from: Dreamspell Nightmares (Paperback) Also available on Kindle.

Don't let the cover, not my favorite, stop you from opening this remarkable collection of short stories.

This anthology of twenty horror stories takes you from Bali to Baghdad, from the streets of L.A. to the Louisiana bayou. Some of the stories are about bad choices, very bad choices, and their consequences. Some are about revenge. Some have twists at the end that I didn't see coming, but that satisfied.

If you like horror, you'll like these stories. Several, like one about a man bent on saving himself through sacrificing another, or another written "from the grave," are chilling and eerie. Each story takes time to develop believable characters, some we like, some we like to see lose.

These stories deal with the evil one person can do to another. Or one being, in several of the stories. Scary, eerie, satisfying, on occasion humorous and satiric, all around good reads, well-edited.

Here's my review of Conda Douglas's short story. Since Conda of Conda's Creative Center is my good friend, I may be a bit biased, but should you choose to buy it (and you should), I bet you'll agree with me.

If you haven't been to the Navajo reservation, this story will take you there, from the realistic picture of a hogan to the images of those who live there.

In this story, a visitor, a want-to-be Navajo white woman (called an inside-out apple)gets involved in an eerie tale of greed and superstition, if superstition it is, centered on a loom and the Changing Woman pattern. From the first sight of Coyote to the ending lines, this one kept me wondering and the hair on my neck tingling.

The author obviously knows Navajo tales and how to twist them into a good tale of horror.

Enough is Enough

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:35:00 +0000

I’ve been sick since the first part of February. Two colds one after the other and then deafness in one ear from the cold. When the deafness set in, my husband said “Enough is enough.” Not sure if he meant enough of my being ill or enough of my complaining. (I’m not a great patient but I am a champion whiner.)

Made me think of writing. When is enough, enough?

Elmore Leonard said he tries to leave out the stuff people skip. His writing is a joy: terse, with exquisite, realistic dialog and believable action. He includes the right amount of description, setting the scene but leaving something to the reader’s imagination. I’ve been reading a lot of John Lescroart’s novels recently. Lescroart provides more description of San Francisco and the offices of the cops, lawyers and investigators who populate his stories. However, the details he provides invariably give me much more insight into the workings of the city and his characters than a bare recounting of the space. One character’s office has a dart board; another’s memorabilia of her murdered fiancé. Be sure your details count.

One way to be sure your writing has “just enough” is to prune adjectives and adverbs, sticking to powerful, precise verbs and nouns. Another trimming technique is to avoid too much explanation. Renni Brown and Dave King, in Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, suggest we Resist the Urge to Explain (RUE). If a character says, “I warned you not to yell at me,” there’s no need to add “Bonnie was furious.” We can guess that, especially if her next action is to hit said yeller with a chair.

Mystery writers make a mistake when they underestimate their readers. When sprinkling clues, once is almost always enough. If you show your sleuth discovering something momentous, the reader is there with you and will discover it, too. No need to add needless words telling us how pleased your sleuth was to find the clue, or worse, to recap the discovery for other characters. “Tim shared his morning’s discovery with his brother over Reuben sandwiches.”

What are your favorite pruning techniques?

It's National Grammar Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:41:00 +0000

National Grammar Day was established in 2008 by Martha Brockenbrough, founder of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar(SPOGG). Michele Fogarty, the Grammar Girl, is hosting National Grammar Day 2011 to remind us that wrestling our words until they’re the right ones is worth it. Words used well help us say what we mean. The correct words can reduce barriers between people, persuade, entice, convince and entertain. Probably not all at once.

Making sure you’ve used the right words can also eliminate embarrassment. You don’t want to send a cover letter like one of mine that touted my decades of experience in pubic relations. (Okay, I found it before I clicked Send.) It makes scents. Oops, sense. It could mean the difference between making some cents and none.

Thus I’ll continue to write and rant, because I believe words are the next best thing to a hug to convey your feelings.

Celebrate National Grammar Day, wherever you may be. Speak, sing, write with your heart and with correct syntax!

Just Is a Four Letter Word

noreply@blogger.com (Kathy McIntosh) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:17:00 +0000

At last Saturday's meeting of The Pixie Chicks Writers Group here in Boise, one woman told us that "just" is a four letter word. She said it when one member commented that it's been hard for her to escape the trap of saying, when meeting someone, "I'm just a homemaker." Same thing applies to me, when I meet a published author. I risk saying "I'm just a writer."
Loved the concept.
Just is not only a four letter word we need to omit from our vocabulary of self-description, it's another of those wimpy words we need to purge from our writing. Others? Almost, nearly, very, hopefully, about (as in "just about as tiny as a pistachio), well (unless it's deep).
What other words might we omit to strengthen our communication?