Writing Tip 12: What Inspires you?

For a change of pace, I'm going to open the floor today strictly to other writers to share their thoughts on writing. Some possible questions:

* What makes you write?

* What keeps you writing?

* How do you decide what story to tell?

* Share your best writing memory.

* What was your "other" profession before you turned to writing? Or what is your other job now?

* Advice to young writers. Where did you start?

* What happened when you finally "got" it; what was it that made you think you finally had crossed a plateau in your work?

* What are your writing habits?

Writing Tip 11: Presidential Prose

Writing in Top (Presidential) Form a la Barack Obama

Being a native Chicagoan, I have a special interest in President-elect Barack Obama.

As the President-elect prepares for his Jan. 20th Inauguration, it seemed fitting to include some tips on writing in top form, a la writing presidential prose.

1. Be prepared to lead. No one is born ready to be president. There is a lot of briefing, training, and discussions going on behind the scenes. The same goes for writing. Some writers may be born, others are made. Writing a book or short stories means putting in the time to learn your craft. Don't short-change yourself. Take online or other courses. Continually invest in your skills and keep them in good working order by writing daily.

2. Be ready to make mistakes. Even the President-elect has to learn along the way. He may stumble a little, he might even make some mistakes, but there is no room in the job for unsureness or self-reproach. He will continue to move forward.

So should writers. There will be stories you look at later that you know could've been improved or where maybe you made a mistake. It can happen. Don't let it rattle your self-confidence. Move on to the next story.

Each day, each month, each year you continue to write, you will see your work evolve and improve. Be proud of your accomplishments. Make new goals and meet them.

3. Put in the grunt work. Beyond the glitter of the Inaugural balls and the prestige of meeting with other world leaders, are a lot of days filled with the ho-hum, reading papers, writing reports, having meetings. It's all part of the job. Writers have those days, too. See next tip.

4. Meet the day in anticipation. Leading, and writing, are work. Some days, the President will probably wish he could stay in bed. There are days when writers groan and wish they didn't have to write.

To keep your writing fresh:

* Try out different styles and markets. Challenge yourself.

* Study your rejections. See what you could have done better and then do it.

* Study the work of other authors. See how they end or begin their stories. Try their approach, but make it your own.

5. Enjoy yourself. Even the President has to unwind and have some fun. Barack Obama likes to play basketball and enjoys spending time with his family. Don't neglect your own down-time. Sometimes you have to step back from the work and relax. Read a book for fun, without analyzing it. Play a game with the kids. Spend time with a hobby. You'll come back to your work refreshed and renewed.

As a writer, usually once the words get flowing, the writing becomes less work and more fun.

To keep the flow going:
* Make an outline or some kind of chart so you know where your story goes next.

* Stop where you can restart. When you stop for the day, always try to leave your writing at a point where you can jump in and continue without having to brainstorm a new section and maybe stall your progress.

-- Christine Verstraete is author of SEARCHING FOR A STARRY NIGHT, A MINIATURE ART MYSTERY, where bffs Sam and Lita, along with a nosy, mischievous Dachshund named Petey, face a cranky housekeeper, dog-hating gardener, and an ancient family curse as they search for the lost miniature replica of Van Gogh's famous painting, Starry Night. Will they find it in time?

** Did you vote? Searching For A Starry Night is part of the annual Preditors-Editors readers poll ending Jan. 14.

I'd appreciate your votes for: Best Book art/cover and Best Mystery.(click corrected links so right one shows up)

Favorite Writing and Miniature Posts: 2007-08 Review

I thought I would recap a few of my favorite posts from the past two years I've been blogging. Posts include short stories, miniatures and writing. Enjoy!

2007
Suspense short story, featuring Dachshund Sophie by Tim Wohlforth, Part 1

Suspense short story, Sophie by Tim Wohlforth, Part 2

2008
Miniature of Van Gogh's Starry Night, inspired by my mystery, Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery

Vincent Van Gogh in miniature

Miniature of the Month: The Vet's Office

August Daily Writing blog: The 7 Deadly (Writing) Sins

Art come to Life in Miniature

Halloween witches in Miniature

Writing tips and markets for kids and teens

12 Days of Christmas in Miniature, An Illustrated Christmas story: The Thief of Christmas Present, by Robert W. Walker, Part 1.

Writing Tip 10: Make a Timeline, says LJ Sellers

Every author has their own way of working.

Some outline; some don't.

Some prefer note or index cards. I like to make a grid on a sheet with 5 boxes across and 4 down, where I can see major points per chapter at a glance.

LJ Sellers, author of the Detective Jackson mystery series, THE SEX CLUB (Spellbinder Press) and the upcoming SECRETS TO DIE FOR, says she likes to create a timeline to keep her work in progress in order

Writing Tip 10: Make a Timeline

Sellers says, "for every mystery/suspense story, I create a timeline of significant events, including day and hour.

"I draft it when I write the outline, then update it and fill it in as I write the novel.

"The timeline:

* helps me pace the story;

* helps me coordinate simultaneous events;

* keeps me from writing too many events into one day;

* saves me the embarrassment of having characters refer to events that
haven't happened yet."

--- THE SEX CLUB by LJ Sellers: When a bomb explodes at a birth control clinic and a young client turns up dead, Detective Jackson is assigned both cases. Could they be connected?

Kera, the nurse who discovers the girl’s Bible group is really a sexual free-for-all, thinks they are. But can Jackson uncover the killer’s identity in time to stop the slaughter?

Eye Candy: Miniature Chocolates Part 2

Chocolate Dreams

My friend Kitty has been busy as a little bee making more chocolates.


This is one of those projects you can't help but look at again and again. One way to cure chocolate cravings?

She made all the chocolates and cakes from polymer clay. Look good enough to eat!

(See part 1 of the Chocolate Shoppe here.)

The fantastic furniture kits are from Lisa's Little Things, an addiction for sure!

New Blog Award!

-- Thanks to my publisher Karen Syed for giving me this new Premios Dardo Best Blog Award. Gee, ain't it pretty?


The rules:
1) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.

2) Pass the award to another 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgement, remembering to contact each of them to let them know they have been selected for this award.

I would like to present this award to the following sites in appreciation for all the effort, knowledge, and encouragement they offer to their readers.

The blogs I named were picked because they are informative, inspiring, funny, fun, or just plain enjoyable. Not all are writers, but I think others will enjoy the artists I've chosen who happen to work in miniature, or who inspire readers with their ideas. Here's what I picked:

Blogs (and their writers) of Note:

* Terrie Farley Moran, Women of Mystery

* Camille Minichino, Killer Hobbies

* Katie, Katie's Clay corner

* Kim, It's a Miniature Life

* Gayle Trent, Fatal Foodies

* Marsha Mees, Sassy Mini Dolls

* Dani, Blog Book Tours

* Daisy, Daisy Pink Cupcake

* Rachel, Miniature Cakes

Dachshunds on Parade, Dogs having Fun

I couldn't resist dressing up Petey the Dachshund from Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery, for New Year's. (Looks like he had more fun than I did. All I've done is cough for two weeks).

Dogs like to have fun. You can tell. Take a look at these Dachshunds at a parade in Florida and tell me they're not having fun!

Now imagine gathering more than 100 Dachshunds in one place. See Dachshund pic 2.

Of course, the real news in the past week was the dog thief!

No, not someone stealing dogs. If you didn't see this video on TV, then take a look. It's not every day that you see a German Shepherd come in to a store and help himself!

Maybe no one got him what he wanted for Christmas so he took matters into his own paws!

It makes you wonder, though... did he live nearby? He must've been in the store before as he knew just where to go. Was he coached? Did someone drop him off and pick him up outside? This might be the best (and funniest!) mystery of 2008!


** What do you think? How did the canine crook get away with it?

Happy New Year 2009!!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Thanks to the generous friends I've made in the past year. I want to thank all the great people who have shared their author tips and miniatures and allowed me to share them with you on this blog. I look forward to sharing even more fun topics with you in the coming year.

Wishing everyone health, happiness, success and God's blessings despite the tough economy and in the midst of all the doom and gloom.

Writing Tip 9: Write it Down Says Terrie Moran

Author Terrie Farley Moran offers some sage advice she learned from another author.

"My writing tip comes from author Gillian Roberts (ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS). Her advice is: DON'T WRITE IT RIGHT, WRITE IT DOWN.

"I have that phrase stuck to my monitor on what is probably the tenth or twelfth grungy looking 3x3 sticky. This one is written in blue ink. The predecessors have been in black, brown, green, red, and even pencil. Some were written in script, but I find block letters work best for me."

Writing Tip 9: DON'T WRITE IT RIGHT, WRITE IT DOWN

Moran says the phrase stops her from interrupting her work.

"It stops me leaving my work in progress to check the thesaurus, or the dictionary, or to 'search' some exotic point. Side trips are distractions that interrupt my flow, and can lead to a less than stellar story all because I stopped to research at exactly the wrong moment."

** Good idea! How many times do we get up to check the fridge or just wander around to avoid - writing?

** What are your "side trips" that keep you from getting your story down on paper?


-- Terrie Farley Moran is author of numerous short stories. Her latest, "Just Call Me Nick," is in the Wolfmont Press anthology of holiday crime stories, DYING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND. All proceeds are being donated to the USMC Toys for Tots.

Eye Candy: Miniature Chocolate Shoppe

Nothing beats chocolate. It's been called the food of the gods and better than... well, better than anything.

Agreed. I love chocolate!

Besides eating chocolate, the fun is seeing it interpreted in miniature.

My friend Kitty has been working on making a fancy Chocolate Shoppe sure to make any chocoholic drool. The chocolate box kits and furniture kits are from Lisa's Little Things, (a real addiction in itself!)



Kitty makes her own chocolate and cakes from FIMO polymer clay. She also is making some of her own chocolate boxes from vintage labels. Convincing, huh?

You can see other pix of her food and more of her chocolate shop items at her blog.

From the supreme Godiva Chocolates, to Hershey's chocolate, there's something for every taste. (Check out the tiny Hershey's logos on the front page.)

For miniaturists, the fascination is in making a scene look real. Dollhouse printies are always fun to make - and see.

* Check out these modern chocolate candy wrappers (full size). (The Belgian chocolate link below also has small labels.)

* Or how about the perfect 1900's era Hershey bar wrapper. (full size).

** What's your favorite chocolate? I'll take Belgian chocolate anytime.

* See Part 2