Category Archives: Writing: Style

The Unexpected Traveler is Underway

Posted on December 23, 2009 by dave

At last! After months of planning and pondering, my new fantasy book is underway. Under the working title The Unexpected Traveler, the story follows Rainier, an elf who doesn’t want to become king. The unexpected traveler is photographer Peter Wright, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Writing: Style | 2 Comments

Magazines for Writers

Posted on July 18, 2009 by dave

I recently received yet another request from Poets & Writers to reconsider my request to drop my subscription. It got me to thinking. Why did I drop my subscription in the first place? Every writer’s workshop I attend recommends Poets … Continue reading →

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Five Senses Exercise in Colorado High Country

Posted on May 27, 2009 by dave

It started out simply enough. After work I hopped on my dirt bike and headed up Owl Creek Pass Road. The county has the road closed a little way beyond the vista point shown in the photograph (38°10’49.77″N 107°37’13.75″W), so … Continue reading →

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English Language Officially Tops 1M Words

Posted on May 26, 2009 by dave

Well, not quite, but it’s coming up. Set aside June 11th, 2009, to celebrate! English, the most comprehensive language on earth, the great sponge that soaks up ideas from everywhere, that wondrous conglomeration of everything pronounceable (and some things that … Continue reading →

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…and Back Again

Posted on May 4, 2009 by dave

My last post sure sounded rosy, didn’t it? Spring, flowers, fun, games, way too many strawberries (a quart or two just for me). Well, Mother Nature had other ideas. You see, I normally get colds on Tuesday. The standard-issue cold … Continue reading →

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Traveling Home: What’s Different?

Posted on May 2, 2009 by dave

Loretta and I are in Southern California to visit my parents. I thought I’d write a few things about seeing “home” through a writer’s eyes. Certainly Ridgway and LA are different!  I’ve been away from LA for several years. As … Continue reading →

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Platte Valley School Writing Workshop

Posted on April 17, 2009 by dave

Loretta and I are ensconced in a hotel room at the Powderhorn Ski Resort near Mesa Colorado, preparatory to participating in a Middle School / High School writing workshop tomorrow morning. Collbran, Colorado, the school’s location, is best described as … Continue reading →

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Specifics, Please!

Posted on January 31, 2009 by dave

How’s this? I pushed open the door, walked to the car, drove a few miles past farmer’s fields, and found myself at Myra’s house. Well, I suppose it gets the job done. And perhaps you want your reader to concentrate … Continue reading →

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Describing an Event

Posted on January 28, 2009 by dave

How do you like to describe events in your novel? By event I mean something that happens to further the plot. Let’s take an example. Your outline (you do have an outline, don’t you?) says that Jack, Mary, and Jane … Continue reading →

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Keep Your Language Straightforward

Posted on January 24, 2009 by dave

I’m reading a non-fiction book on William Tyndale, an early advocate for an English translation of the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek; in fact, his own translation serves as the basis for the King James Bible. It’s a … Continue reading →

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