Lynne's Blog
As a science center director in a former life, my job was to show our audiences how science works, not simply to tell them. The Aha! moments made the experience real for the thousands of kids, adults, and young adults that visited. When they left, there was a good chance they would remember the scientific concept behind the hands-on exhibit.
Writing is much the same. Writers need that Aha! encounter to grow and nourish their ideas into a final piece of work. That’s what this blog is all about. It’s about MY “minds-on” adventure with words — one I enjoy sharing with readers. Whether it’s about the research aspect, the craft of writing itself, or the emotional roller coaster of putting myself out there in the public eye . . . my blog is me. Pure and simple.
I welcome your thoughts and hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
Are You Your Own Best Editor?
Should You Hire a Pro? A writer friend asked me whether it was really a good idea to pay a professional editor to read her manuscript. My immediate response was yes, but the question made me pause and reflect on my personal experiences. I have had all three of my...
How Much Dialect Is Too Much?
Dialect Can Be Deadly One of the major characters in my book, “Time Exposure” is Alexander Gardner, a famous, and real, Civil War photographer. Gardner hailed from Paisley, Scotland and arrived in Washington, D.C. in 1856 with a thick Scottish accent. How was I to...
Getting Your Reader to Turn the Page
Chapter Endings Are as Important as Beginnings I’ve started the second draft of my next book and as I reread several chapters I realized my endings were not very riveting. Ho hum, shall I turn the page? If I don’t want to turn the pages of my own book, why would any...
Is Blogging an Effective Marketing Tool?
Can Your Blog Drive Book Sales? My last blog hit a nerve with many writers. The dilemma of spending time marketing your books vs. writing your books clearly resonated and drew lots of responses. I’ve tried to practice what I preached in that post and have cut down my...
Lost on the Trail
Tracking a Van Gogh is Not Easy I have trails on my mind since I recently returned from a trip to the National Parks and Indian Reservations in the Four Corners area. I kept my eye out for my beloved missing Van Gogh, but, alas, spied only (only?) petroglyphs and...
Writing Vs Marketing
Don’t Let Social Media Take Over Your Life I attended an all-day Mystery Writers of America conference last Saturday. Got all sorts of good tips and ideas, met fellow writers and, overall, enjoyed the day. The best tip came at the very end, however, when the speaker,...
Getting Into the Head of the Opposite Sex
Writing From Different Gender POVs I just finished an excellent novel called “Help for the Haunted.” It’s about two sisters, ages around 14 and 18 and their parents who make a living by helping expunge demons from haunted individuals. Hmm. Well, never mind the plot –...
Creating Fiction Around Non-Fiction
Bending the Truth a Little Writing historical mysteries is a juggling act. Writers must create a fictional plot with fictional characters around a historical time period with real people . . . and somehow suspend the readers’ disbelief. Many writers of historical...
9/11 Memorial Tower
A Sight to Behold Just returned from trip to NYC and a visit to the National September 11 Memorial. This photo montage shows the construction of the tower, very beautiful, indeed, and two pools set in the footprints of the original Twin Towers. These pools are...
Marketing an Indie Book
Do it Yourself or Hire a Pro? Writing a good book is only the first step. Publishing it so it looks professional is step two. The third and very important step is marketing the book. I’ve read a few books on Indie marketing and ideas range from developing Youtubes, a...
Newest Release!
