For those of you who have read my blog posts in the past, you will probably notice that I rarely, if ever, give writing advice. There are a few reasons for this: the way I write and what works for me may not work for you (the actual action of writing); I know what looks right on the page. I have a pretty decent grasp of grammar and language, however, I am NOT a grammatician nor am I a professor of English to speak as an authority on sentence structure; I am not an expert on the reader’s marketplace. I have a good understanding of what is selling now (easily enough found) and I have some opinions on what might sell down-the-road, but […]
Read moreCategory: Irreverent Muse
Beat but not Beaten
I have this tendency to overcommitt myself. Now, if I didn’t care about actually fulfilling my commitments, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. That is not the case, however. When I say I’m going to do something, I do it and try to do it well. That in itself is not a character flaw (as far as I know), but it does tend to wear me down over time. Take Scouts, for example. I love being a Scout leader, but about this time every year I start to get cranky. The craziness of the troop and the lost days and nights every month make me wonder if I really want to do it again next year and please, please, […]
Read moreMik Murdoch is into Final Edits
I received the last set of edits from my editor, Robert Runte, on Saturday. Robert’s comments were all very positive which was very gratifying to read. This version only has 150 required changes, most very minor. It feels great to have them now and to know that the story really doesn’t need any major work. Robert is (he says) very happy with the quality of the manuscript so that is encouraging. Now, I just have to work my way through and finish it. As in the previous version of the manuscript, we are working in Microsoft Word with Track Changes on. This is a great way to go because I can see Robert’s changes and comments and he can see […]
Read morePulling Up My Socks
There are times when it is impossible to get things going. Maybe you’re tired, having personal problems, overwhelmed or simply worn out. Me, I’m tired this week. Tired of being sick, that is. It’s times like this that I realize just how much I’ve got going on and how little spare time I have. That extra nap because I’m sick really cuts into the productivity. A good example of this is last night. I got home around 9:00 PM from a work function. I was struggling to stay awake (earlier in the day, I nodded off in the dentist’s chair). I could have spent 30 minutes writing or editing or proofing one of my projects. Instead, I went to bed. […]
Read more