It’s not always obvious to a writer when s/he has over-used a word or phrase. S/he can read, reread, and read a manuscript over and over again, and still, it’s not coming up as a red flag. This, of course, is where fresh eyes can help. Try two things before passing over to your beta reader/editor/proofreader. Firstly, do a search for the word/phrase you suspect might have overstayed its welcome. Click on ‘Find’ on your toolbar (in Word) and a little list on the left-hand side will tell you how many times you’ve used it. You can then navigate to each instance. Secondly, read the sentence in which it has been used…out loud. And that overused word will suddenly, loudly, clangingly, resonate in your head. Continue reading “A Helping Hand…that, that, that and more thats…”
Month: August 2013
Sneak Peek: Dynasty
Today we have a sneak peek from Dynasty, the fifth book in the science fiction To Be Sinclair Series by author Eva Caye.
The struggle of Princes Stefan, Josef, and Evan to learn Empress Felice Sinclair’s dangerous stargate technology comes at a cost to their private lives. Battling jealousy, favoritism, sexual identity crises, manipulation, and the need to maintain utmost secrecy, they suffer notoriety and isolation in turn, hemmed in by their protectors.
The three Imperial Sons must not only evaluate their personal relationships for their own safety and sanity, they rush to aid the Stargate Fleet after a devastating attack! Will they succeed in assimilating their roles as stargate providers before their mother risks her life one last time?
This book is available from Amazon, Smashwords, and Amazon UK.
Here is an excerpt from Dynasty…
Writing Recipe #1
Guest post
by Ellen Plotkin Mulholland
Opportunity. Events. Writing a good story involves opportunities and events. It’s how you combine the two that moves the story along. I like to write with an event in mind and bring in opportunities to move my plot.
My nephew reminds me of another recipe for writing. Children see the world two ways, it’s obvious, it’s mysterious. When it rains, carry an umbrella. When you see a puddle, jump in it. It’s obvious. But why does it rain? How do clouds manage to float in the sky and not fall on our heads? Continue reading “Writing Recipe #1”
Flash Fiction Challenge: Bird in the Water
The XD 880 was to be the first stealth passenger airliner. The idea was to make it harder for hostiles to use surface-to-air missiles to bring down civilian flights.
The technology was there. On some level, I suppose it only made sense.
After all, air control would still be able to track the plane locations from the transmitter beacon, right? They would have, as long as the transmitter beacon didn’t malfunction. But of course it did.
The rescue teams set out with only a general idea of the crash site from eyewitness reports. We were three days into the effort when team 12 found the first piece of flotsam. That was when the mystery began to unravel. Nothing was what it seemed.
In 250 words or less, tell us a story incorporating the elements in the picture. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.
Please keep language and subject matter to a PG-13 level.
Use the comment section below to submit your entry. Entries will be accepted until Tuesday at 5:00 PM Pacific Time. Continue reading “Flash Fiction Challenge: Bird in the Water”