A Helping Hand…Punctuation Part 2 – Apostrophes

rainbow punctuation-787593_640Right! We did semi-colons in the last tutorial (see here). I thought I would tackle the apostrophe next. It’s another member in the punctuation cast list which has only a few functions but seems to cause an awful lot of confusion.

So, children, you’ve had morning break, please go back to your desks.

Stephen! Don’t try and carry the chair with Al still on it, dear.

Chris! Please don’t put that eraser in Carol’s ear. Pardon Chris? Yes, I know it’s soft, but she still doesn’t like it.

Sorry, Jim, what did you say? You want to put your raincoat on in case it rains? It won’t rain indoors, dear. No, Yvonne certainly won’t pour water over you.

Dan, please don’t fill Lois’s satchel with milk.

Kat!!!!!!………..Please don’t do that.

(In memory of the very wonderful Joyce Grenfell)

So, if we are all sitting comfortably…

Continue reading “A Helping Hand…Punctuation Part 2 – Apostrophes”

Video Trailer: Next Move, You’re Dead by Linda L. Barton

Homicide Detective John Cooper has always followed the evidence to solve any case until a mysterious caller makes him question that evidence. The murder cases he’s working on are already solved, so John wonders what the phone calls have to do with them. The evidence proves the guilt of those involved, but the calls make him start to question the evidence and himself – for the first time in his career.


Linda L. Barton’s suspense thriller, Next Move,You’re Dead, is available from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

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Character Arc & Stories That Stay With You

Great characters can make or break a novel. That is why authors work hard to develop these players. Big time authors get a lot of mileage out of one good character. Rowling certainly did that with Harry Potter, Nelson DeMille created John Corey and has had long string of bestselling books. One of my favorites is Doc Ford in the Randy Wayne White series set in Sanibel Island, Florida.  

Back in April, JD Mader posted an article on character development and descriptions. He did a great job of breaking down character development of both physical and psychological traits. Today, I want to take his post a step further and discuss character arc. Character arc is essential to story success.

So what is character arc? Continue reading “Character Arc & Stories That Stay With You”

Flash Fiction Challenge: Goodbye Wave

Photo by K.S. Brooks

She watched Chris from the beach as she did every time he surfed. She waited and worried as she did every time.

This was different. Last night, she’d had the dream. The black rose washed up in the surf. The broken board followed.

She’d told Chris. She’d begged him not to go today.

He wouldn’t listen, of course. Continue reading “Flash Fiction Challenge: Goodbye Wave”