tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41214198063740936802012-02-16T05:58:29.998-05:00A blog dedicated to the rapture, and the misery, of writing.KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.comBlogger1431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-69101512719566369932011-11-14T00:06:00.007-05:002011-11-14T00:23:12.041-05:00

I haven't posted anything in four months. I must be the worst blogger in the world. On a good note, I have been writing, both my own work and work for others.Currently, I'm ghostwriting a memoir for a client about his journey overcoming addiction. Also, I've started by second novel and am plotting books two and three in the GEMS series. I would love to hear how others maintain their blogs and

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-87358495788942517542011-07-07T11:20:00.008-04:002011-07-07T12:14:48.114-04:00

In his essay "The Humble Genre Novel, Sometimes Full of Genius," David Mamet writes about the "purpose of literature":The purpose of literature is to Delight. To create or endorse the Scholastic is a craven desire. It may yield a low-level self-satisfaction, but how can this compare with our joy at great, generous writing? With our joy of discovery of worth in the simple and straightforward? Is

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-18103121387539097962011-07-06T17:21:00.006-04:002011-07-06T17:29:33.373-04:00

See video here.StumbleUpon CEO Garrett Camp talks to mediabistro.com's Media Beat about the "discovery engine" StumbleUpon. Calling the site not a "social network" but a "discovery engine" where account holders discover fun things they like and give those things a "thumbs up," Camp shares that its 15 million users "refer almost as much traffic as Facebook." So, should authors sign up for a

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-53254188228251702132011-07-05T12:17:00.007-04:002011-07-05T12:33:14.669-04:00

Author John Green spills the beans about working with a book editor. Green feels they may be more important than writers. There is a case to be made for that sentiment. Marc Jaffe on editors: "A competent editor is a publisher in microcosm, able to initiate and follow a project all the way through."If you work with an amazing book editor, don't take the relationship for granted or complain about

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-14054659644949886442011-06-16T11:23:00.019-04:002011-06-16T12:45:32.242-04:00

Picked up an engaging book on life and writing at an estate sale a few weeks ago. I had never heard of Lynn Freed, much less read one of her five novels or her award-winning short story collection The Curse of the Appropriate Man (a title, by the way, I desperately wish I'd thought of), but I was immediately drawn to the picture on the front cover of her collection of essays Reading, Writing, and

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-3430202228585068342011-03-24T22:31:00.006-04:002011-03-24T23:04:16.098-04:00

American author William Saroyan answers the question How do you write? in his essay "Starting with a Tree and Finally Getting to the Death of a Brother." I think this is perhaps the number one question young and beginning writers want the answer to: How do you write?, meaning how can I write, how can I get good at writing. Here are a few passages from Saroyan's essay:"My answer is that I start

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-40028720100863193432011-03-22T19:00:00.006-04:002011-03-22T19:10:49.395-04:00

Interviewer: How many drafts of a story do you do?S.J. Perelman: Thirty-seven. I once tried doing thirty-three, but something was lacking, a certain--how shall I say?--je ne sais quoi. On another occasion, I tried forty-two versions, but the final effect was too lapidary--you know what I mean, Jack? What the hell are you trying to extort--my trade secrets?"Why do people always expect authors to

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-73951010618140524682011-03-22T00:40:00.012-04:002011-03-22T01:01:45.261-04:00

Rachel Deahl and Calvin Reed report for Publishers Weekly on another cool event I didn't get to attend, this year' South by Southwest Interactive Festival. Topics included paradigm shifts in "traditional publishing," analyzing the effectiveness of social media, and the dangers and delights of transmedia. Reading their article made me so jealous I don't get paid to cover neat stuff like this.Read

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-18775801398552186352011-03-20T23:59:00.012-04:002011-03-21T00:45:51.943-04:00

So, I haven't posted anything since Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Am I the worst blogger ever? I have been working hard, though. I finished the novel and have been steadily working on freelance writing and editing gigs, which is great because I have a thing about keeping the power on and the pantry stocked.Finishing the novel was a glorious feeling. I felt high for days--that great writing euphoria

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-25518444600283291232011-01-17T15:20:00.011-05:002011-01-17T15:30:30.861-05:00

On this day of celebration, a day set aside to recognize the birth of a great leader, a beacon of hope and transcendence, some words from the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent. Darkness cannot

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-17504435204255560572011-01-14T16:23:00.006-05:002011-01-14T17:12:11.485-05:00

Faulkner's advice to those working to become a good novelist is taken from a 1956 interview for The Paris Review:Interviewer: Is there any possible formula to follow in order to be a good novelist?Faulkner: Ninety-nine per cent talent . . . 99 per cent discipline . . . 99 per cent work. He must never be satisfied with what he does. It never is as good as it can be done. Always dream and shoot

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-26935978516176526032011-01-01T15:38:00.007-05:002011-01-01T16:06:30.357-05:00

"It all begins when the soul would have its way with you." - Ralph Waldo EmersonIf opening up "the soul" allows our creativity to flow, in this new year here's hoping we will all engage in activities to open "the soul" (whatever that term may mean personally) and help our creativity flow. Here are ten of my favorite techniques for pumping the creative juices:1. Taking a walk.2. Reading poetry.3.

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-80432751165460773162010-12-30T20:28:00.005-05:002010-12-30T20:36:23.583-05:00

Authors choose their favorite books of 2010Salon.com's Laura Miller shares notable authors' picks for best books of 2010. Check it out!Most of my reading in 2010 was in the YA genre. This year I really liked Jessica Blank's realistic 1980's coming-of-age story Karma For Beginners (Hyperion Teen), Kimberly Derting's debut thriller The Body Finder (HarperTeen), and Carrie Vaughn's fantasy tale of a

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-82237900094803560682010-12-20T12:16:00.006-05:002010-12-20T12:33:28.998-05:00

Why we love bad writingLaura Miller muses on why so many of us love bad writing in her article posted at salon.com. I have to admit, as much as I despise "bad writing," Miller has a point in her article: the masses love quick to gobble up, easy to digest, filler plot-heavy novels. I imagine it's much in the same way many of us like fast food, plasticware, and disposable razors. Last night before

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-13173001794795959382010-12-16T10:43:00.008-05:002010-12-16T11:05:25.388-05:00

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was specifically addressing the benefits of attending university creative writing programs when he wrote, "The primary benefit of practicing any art, whether well or badly, is that it enables one's soul to grow." Most of us writers won't get the opportunity to attend an established writing program. But many of us can be blessed enough to hook up with a supportive and talented

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-82578884425062388182010-12-08T11:36:00.012-05:002010-12-08T12:07:08.262-05:00

I love this quote from writer Susan Sontag. It's taken from her essay "Directions: Write, Read, Rewrite. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 as Needed" reprinted in the 2001 publication of Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from The New York Times."Writing is finally a series of permissions you give yourself to be expressive in a certain way. To invent. To leap. To fly. To fall. To find your own

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-76053938708327348882010-12-07T15:28:00.009-05:002010-12-07T16:17:11.377-05:00

Every time I turn on the television these days, I see commercials for the handful of new "reality" shows centered around auctions and "picking" antiques. You know the ones, they star gruff-looking, everyday types who make their livings from buying other people's junk and reselling it for a profit. The latest of these genre of shows are the storage unit auction shows, including Auction Hunters and

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-83405501139620291872010-12-06T16:31:00.010-05:002010-12-06T16:59:30.753-05:00

"Once you're into a story everything seems to apply -- what you overhear on a city bus is exactly what your character would say on the page you're writing. Wherever you go, you meet part of your story. I guess you're tuned in for it, and the right things are sort of magnetized." - Eudora WeltyGood source material for our writing is around us all the time. I think we are most "tuned in" to it when

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-6773611525191853802010-12-04T19:46:00.007-05:002010-12-04T20:12:20.740-05:00

While being interviewed for The Paris Review, writer Frank O'Connor was asked by the interviewer: "What about the problem of the struggling writer who must make a living?" Frank O'Connor answered with the following story:"Now, that's something I can't understand about America. It's a big generous country, but so many students of mine seemed to think they couldn't let anyone else support them. A

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-32943269369865300152010-11-28T18:26:00.002-05:002010-11-28T18:28:26.374-05:00

"Why do people always expect authors to answer questions? I am an author because I want to ask questions. If I had answers I'd be a politician." - Eugene Ionesco

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-2741786770493181002010-11-27T13:47:00.005-05:002010-11-27T13:58:20.210-05:00

"What the writers I care most about do is take fiction as the single most important thing in life after life itself -- life itself being both their raw material and the object of their celebration. They do it not for ego but simply to make something singularly beautiful. Fiction is their religion and comfort: when they are depressed, they go not to church or psychoanalysis but to Salinger or

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-43256893398267484342010-11-23T11:41:00.006-05:002010-11-23T12:43:21.241-05:00

"I became an afternoon writer when I had afternoons. When I was able to write full-time, I used to spend the morning procrastinating and worrying, then plunge into the manuscript in a frenzy of anxiety around 3:00 P.M. when it looked as though I might not get anything done. . . . The fact is that blank pages inspire me with terror. What will I put on them? Will it be good enough? Will I have to

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-16475746982927902332010-11-22T11:28:00.006-05:002010-11-22T11:44:42.978-05:00

"The material's out there, a calm lake waiting for us to dive in." - Beverly LowryIn my case, it seems it's not a "calm lake" of material waiting for me to dive in but more an ocean of waves crashing in. I can catch a wave and ride it in, or I can drown. Think I'll let my writing be my surfboard.Began a short piece this morning entitled "Spoiled Milk." I'm not sure where it's going yet, but the

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-25050261982178916212010-11-17T18:01:00.014-05:002010-11-17T18:48:19.525-05:00

The Florida Writers Assoication presented their second volume of short stories, Slices of Life, last month. My author's copy came in the mail Monday. It's always a nice treat to see one's work in print. "Clutter" was a piece that rolled around in my mind for six months or so before I finally sat down and put it to paper. FWA's call for short "slice of life" stories seemed the perfect occasion for

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-73888822036212722952010-11-04T00:13:00.003-04:002010-11-04T00:29:53.048-04:00

"A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something." ~ Frank CapraI think a hunch, a gut feeling, is your inner writer trying to point you in a direction of interest. The reason we don't listen to our "hunches" is a matter of self-doubt. That inner critic that says, "You're not good enough" or "You don't have enough experience." Don't let anyone, even your own inner critique, cause you to stop

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-52152511816704233622010-10-31T01:27:00.004-04:002010-10-31T01:38:44.765-04:00

"Art is a shutting in in order to shut out. Art is a ritualistic binding of the perpetual motion machine that is nature. ... Art is spellbinding. Art fixes the audience in its seat, stops the feet before a painting, fixes a book in the hand. Contemplation is a magic act." - Camille PagliaFinish this sentence. Art is . . .

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-64219396446493583792010-10-27T00:24:00.004-04:002010-10-27T00:50:21.161-04:00

"I feel that the final purpose of art is to intensify -- even, if necessary, to exacerbate -- the moral consciousness of people. In particular, I think the novel at its best is the most moral of the art forms. You are exploring the interstices of human behavior -- which is the first approach to religious experience for many of us, especially since the organized religions don't begin to offer

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-11299269624686362402010-10-22T23:43:00.010-04:002010-10-23T00:07:06.946-04:00

A technique that distracts the reader is never a good idea. The means by which one tells the story should not call attention to itself, yanking the reader out of the narrative world one has taken great pains to create. Distracting technique is a violation of the promise one makes with the reader: I will transport you to another existence, where a meaningful journey awaits. How rude to remind the

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-45173387517289913102010-10-20T13:28:00.007-04:002010-10-20T13:45:30.709-04:00

This is only my second post this month. Going through my marriage separation and my mother's unexpected illness has left me drained and numb. Today I found comfort in these words by Norman Mailer on stamina and writing a novel:"A large part of writing a novel is to keep your tone. I love starting a book; I usually like finishing one. It's the long middle stretches that call on your character --

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-9662084205004293772010-10-04T21:37:00.023-04:002010-10-04T22:34:53.660-04:00

"If you start a novel before you're ready, it's exactly as if you are a young athlete out in a contest with professionals who are far beyond you. Not ready, you get clobbered. You receive a painful lesson in identity. One does well to build up a little literary experience before trying a long piece of work. On the other hand, if you can accept in advance the likelihood of ending in failure, a

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-68896628356951267872010-09-22T16:26:00.008-04:002010-09-22T16:55:44.643-04:00

"It's much easier to write a solemn book than a funny book. It's harder to make people laugh than it is to make them cry. People are always on the verge of tears." Fran LebowitzI googled "books that make you cry" and the only interesting thing I found on the first page was a list of Books That Make You Cry from goodreads.com. Some of the books listed made me scratch my head; others, namely the

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-16275777852715993542010-09-17T15:49:00.010-04:002010-09-17T16:09:56.915-04:00

"A man really writes for an audience of about ten persons. Of course, if others like it, that is clear gain. But if those ten are satisfied, he is content." - Alfred North WhiteheadI'm not convinced of Alfred North Whitehead's conviction that we really write "for an audience of about ten people," but I'm willing to entertain the thought. Here's my list of the ten folks for whom I write:1. myself

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-87313574406267151262010-09-16T15:26:00.012-04:002010-09-16T15:53:32.887-04:00

"The persistent problem with my writing is that I never know how something is going to come out; even when I write a short review, I always have to start over. I have no mastery. But it's actually beneficial -- it prevents things from becoming routine." - Heinrich BollDon't let fear of mastery (or the lack of it) keep you from writing. Self-doubt, fear, self-criticism, these feelings and thoughts

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-78261170459754318342010-09-09T17:12:00.003-04:002010-09-09T17:18:55.072-04:00

Go with your instinct -- even if it may turn out to be wrong later. Learning to trust yourself can be difficult, but it is vital if you are to develop your own voice. Second-guessing yourself isn't the same as thoughtful editing and revision.

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-32702852991999715152010-09-06T12:32:00.006-04:002010-09-06T12:41:56.127-04:00

Happy Labor Day, writers! Relax and enjoy the day. Anyone who's tried it knows making a living writing is a ridiculous venture, but one well worth the pursuit.A little Mark Twain on Labor Day:"Write without pay until somebody offers pay. If nobody offers pay within three years, the candidate may look upon this circumstance with the most implicit confidence as the sign that sawing wood is what he

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-8555162503292138432010-09-05T18:52:00.016-04:002010-09-05T19:19:34.163-04:00

"We always worry that we are copying someone else, that we don't have our own style. Don't worry. Writing is a communal act. Contrary to popular belief, a writer is not Prometheus alone on a hill full of fire. We are very arrogant to think we alone have a totally original mind. We are carried on the backs of all the writers who came before us. We live in the present with all the history, ideas,

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-12838609328913685002010-09-04T09:04:00.007-04:002010-09-04T17:22:24.232-04:00

Guest blogger Fan Wu comments on the rise of e-books on The Plougshares Blog:E-books? E-books! by Fan WuFan and I are of the same mind. We can't stop the popularity of e-books and changes in the publishing industry, but we don't have to join them either. They'll pull my books from my cold, dead hands."The harmonies of bound books are like the flowers of the field." - Hilaire Belloc

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-85890973386654583892010-09-02T09:02:00.003-04:002010-09-02T09:19:07.929-04:00

"The really good metaphors are always the same. I mean you compare time to a road, death to sleeping, life to dreaming, and those are the great metaphors in literature because they correspond to something essential. If you invent metaphors, they are apt to be surprising during the fraction of a second, but they strike no deep emotion whatever." - Jorge Luis BorgesClassic Metaphors That Come to

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-5738705616609030462010-08-31T19:17:00.004-04:002010-08-31T19:27:30.483-04:00

Natural sounding dialogue can be a struggle for many writers. To get that "right sound" to your characters' dialogue, try this quick fix:Write a conversation between characters in whatever way you want; then go back through and strip out words to create shorter, choppier sentences, keeping in the interesting essentials but cutting away the unnecessary "fillers" found in so much "wooden" or "

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-21772660421484980692010-08-30T20:54:00.002-04:002010-08-30T21:11:02.266-04:00

"Truth is not loved because it is better for us. We hunger and thirst for it. And the appetite for truthful books is greater than ever." - Saul BellowI think this is true. I feel this is true. We crave truthful books, books that hold a mirror up to our world, within which we gaze and say, "I recognize that." We may emphasize one word or the other (or all in varying degree):I recognize that.I

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-64533222739426069682010-08-28T16:06:00.015-04:002010-08-28T17:19:52.087-04:00

In The Art of Fiction, John Gardner writes, "In contemporary writing one may do anything one pleases with point of view, as long as it works." Earlier in the text, Gardner comments on Henry James' claims of the use of first-person point of view in long works of fiction as "barbaric." In his own book entitled The Art of Fiction, a collection of previously published articles on the craft, novelist

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-69975118605238136622010-08-26T10:11:00.004-04:002010-08-26T19:16:06.093-04:00

"You must not suppose, because I am a man of letters, that I never tried to earn an honest living." - George Bernard ShawMy attempts at earning an "honest living" before staying home to write:movie theatre workerdrug store clerk/pharmacist's helperwaitressretail women's clothing/jewelry salespersoncar salespersonmicrofiche filer (worst job ever)substitute teacherESE paraprofessionalhigh school/

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-59002710299208474442010-08-22T19:08:00.008-04:002010-08-22T19:31:04.682-04:00

"No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft" - H. G. WellsI love editing someone else's writing. A friend told me once it was the perfect job for me. I get paid for telling others what's wrong with what they wrote. Of course, I hope I'm not that crass about how I approach helping others edit and revise, but, I must admit, it does suit me. Perhaps it's all those

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-43839213487561310122010-08-20T23:29:00.006-04:002010-08-21T00:03:28.731-04:00

It's no secret the fiction market is changing. With the ever-lowering price of e-book readers, efforts by online retailers to squeeze out agents and publishers, and falling stock prices of the big box booksellers, what sells and makes money in the fiction market is becoming narrower and narrower. I once read in a feature article in The Writer's Market that trying to make a living as a poet

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-36039974410930328852010-08-18T15:27:00.003-04:002010-08-18T15:34:58.901-04:00

"When I was a ten-year-old book worm and used to kiss the dust jacket pictures of authors as if they were icons, it used to amaze me that these remote people could provoke me to love." - Erica JongWhile I won't admit to kissing author photos on a book jacket, I will admit to staring in wonderment at an author or two's book jacket photo the way one might stare at the yearbook picture of the

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-8965295194324214532010-08-17T23:04:00.001-04:002010-08-17T23:12:46.238-04:00

The bookstore massacre is coming Brett Arends' ROI - MarketWatchThis article by Brett Arends made me sad, but, alas, I have to agree with him: the massacre of the American bookstore is coming. Apparently, Barnes & Noble is going up for sale. I closed my bookstore business almost two years ago. We were just beginning and headed in the right direction when the recession knocked up a fatal blow. I

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-75603162277904891942010-08-13T18:22:00.007-04:002010-08-13T18:36:31.149-04:00

"Even if my marriage is falling apart and my children are unhappy, there is still a part of me that says, 'God! This is fascinating!'" - Jane SmileyMy friends think I'm a good listener. Don't get me wrong. I am a good listener, but there are times when I worry that I'm not so much listening to empathize and support as I'm listening to take notes for writing. Does this make me a bad person, or is

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-25080288862264278982010-08-11T21:04:00.004-04:002010-08-12T00:19:13.042-04:00

Read the Publishers Weekly article - click here.Layoffs at Borders HeadquartersI can't help but wonder if the recent announcement of more layoffs with Borders is a direct result of recent increases in e-book sales. Everytime I bring up e-books with my writer friends I hear the same thing, commonly surmized by the idiom "You can't fight progress." Also, I can't help but wonder if the salespeople

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-33708440804228020412010-08-10T12:00:00.002-04:002010-08-10T12:04:21.272-04:00

"I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper." - Steve MartinGive yourself credit where credit is due and don't be too hard on yourself. Writing is creating out of thin air, from the smoke of our dreams and desires. It's not magic, and it doesn't come easily.

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-39038162855354295632010-08-09T12:20:00.005-04:002010-08-09T12:32:22.368-04:00

"This will never be a civilized country until we expend more money for books than we do for chewing gum." - Elbert HubbardI couldn't find stats on how much Americans spend on chewing gum, or, for that matter, how much we spend on books. I know, I'm a dork. I actually tried to find this out. Although this sentiment might not be statistically true, it sure feels psychologically true. My lament is

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-59244779007041716182010-08-08T23:47:00.020-04:002010-08-09T00:50:16.810-04:00

The 2010 UNF Writers Conference has concluded and before hitting the sack for some well-needed rest I thought I'd share my notes on the conference and some lessons learned.New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry kicked off the three-day event with a informative general session on "What Every Writer Should Never Forget." What is that crucial element we writers must keep in the forethought of

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-49783202793291893292010-08-07T19:20:00.006-04:002010-08-07T19:33:51.955-04:00

The UNF Writers Conference is in its second day today. I plan to post a detailed entry after tomorrow's conclusion, but in the meanwhile I wanted to offer words of encouragement today to keep the literary faith and keep writing. Two common themes running through the workshops and critique groups are to write the book you most want to read and not to be afraid to edit savagely when needed, which I

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-14433078151844556202010-08-05T11:02:00.011-04:002010-08-05T20:46:04.925-04:00

"Reading usually precedes writing. And the impulse to write is almost always fired by reading. Reading, the love of reading, is what makes you dream of becoming a writer. And long after you've become a writer, reading books others write -- and rereading the beloved books of the past -- constitutes an irresistible distraction from writing. Distraction. Consolation. Torment. And, yes, inspiration."

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-36963772826336471662010-08-02T12:23:00.004-04:002010-08-02T12:49:15.463-04:00

"Books are a delightful society. If you go into a room filled with books, even without taking them down from their shelves, they seem to speak to you, to welcome you." - William E. Gladstone"As good almost kill a man as kill a good book: who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good book kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were, in the eye." -

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-88583985742460062202010-08-02T00:30:00.020-04:002010-08-02T01:26:12.803-04:00

"If you cannot read all your books, at any rate handle, or as it were, fondle them -- peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on the shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them at any rate be your acquaintances." - Winston

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-19254801131359265142010-07-31T11:21:00.024-04:002010-07-31T12:34:48.841-04:00

I've started reading Michael Cunningham's The Hours yesterday. The Hours tells the stories of three women and relies heavily on the work and life of Virginia Woolf. I'm not far enough along to comment on the plot or structure yet, but the language and style is beautiful and haunting. It's hard for me to find a novel I care to read to the end. I'd love to say I finish every book I start, but I

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-42025926378582646532010-07-30T01:15:00.013-04:002010-07-30T01:30:28.319-04:00

"The perfect place for a writer is in the hideous roar of a city, with men making a new road under his window in competition with a barrel organ, and on the mat a man waiting for the rent." - Henry Vollam MortonMy perfect place to write is in my office, in absolute quiet and with my West Highlands Terrier, Yankee, at my feet and, when it pleases him to visit, my fat, orange tabby, Sherwood,

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-76005890073051903962010-07-29T22:41:00.012-04:002010-07-29T23:05:45.718-04:00

Elizabeth Bluemle takes a humorous look at this year's book covers, with an emphasis on the YA market, in her online blog post "The Season of Windblown Hair - Or, the Zeitgeist of Book Covers." For my part, I happen to be reading Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder, which appears in Bluemle's first line-up of floral covers. I have to admit, it is a fashionable cover.And on that note, I'm looking

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-76660924054339403412010-07-29T14:29:00.035-04:002010-07-29T15:54:37.985-04:00

"If the young writer is to achieve intellectual and emotional significance in his fiction, he must have the common sense to tell foolish ideas from interesting ones and important emotions from trivial ones. These abilities can be guided a little, for instance by the teacher's pointing out, as I've done above, that stories beginning in character and conflict are bound to be more interesting than

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-64185612055248017172010-07-27T10:46:00.009-04:002010-07-27T11:07:06.537-04:00

"A writer's knowledge of himself, realistic and unromantic, is like a store of energy on which he must draw for a lifetime; one volt of it properly directed will bring a character alive." -Graham GreeneWe'd like to believe we are noble and kind and unselfish. I'm sure for all of us, even the most depraved of us, there are occasions when these aspects are true. But for our fiction, they're not

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-47336027454599525632010-07-26T17:07:00.014-04:002010-07-26T18:10:42.389-04:00

Much is made in books on writing and writing workshops on "finding your voice." Most often "finding your voice" means writing with emotional honesty about the life you know. The promise is, having engaged in this type of raw and patient practice, that your voice will emerge naturally, producing in its "echoes" work that is original and authentic.Okay, 1) I'm not arguing with this theory and 2) I

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-66672852509023066142010-07-24T12:35:00.004-04:002010-07-24T15:59:38.803-04:00

"A person who publishes a book willfully appears before the populace with his pants down . . . If it is a good book nothing can hurt him. If it is a bad book, nothing can help him." - Edna St. Vincent Millay.One of my favorite Millay poems.And do you think that love itself And do you think that love itself,Living in such an ugly house,Can prosper long?We meet and part;Our talk is all of heres

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-16389013060216798682010-07-23T10:34:00.010-04:002010-07-23T11:01:11.836-04:00

"The novelist who refuses sentiment refuses the full spectrum of human behavior, and then he just dries up. Irony is always scratching your tired ass, whatever way you look at it. I would rather give full vent to all human loves and disappointments, and take a chance on being corny, than die a smartass." - Jim HarrisonI don't disagree with Harrison. But I think leaning on the side of sentiment is

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-46037579926337091582010-07-21T18:56:00.011-04:002010-07-21T19:16:05.101-04:00

Kristen at Pub Rants posted her insights into the growing importance of getting your query pitch paragraph just right. You can read her blog post at Pub Rants: Another Reason to Nail Your Query Pitch Paragraph.I recently got the chance to work on my pitch paragraph for Gems in the Rough. Okay, I didn't so much as get the chance as I couldn't reduce my novel synopsis down to one page for an

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-11076526921354029422010-07-20T16:55:00.006-04:002010-07-20T17:09:53.809-04:00

Persistence is the pathway; perfectionism, the fallen log that blocks the way.Today, give yourself permission to make mistakes. Have respect for your talent, and turn down the volume on the critics in your head.

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-38772985145369716662010-07-19T13:06:00.005-04:002010-07-24T01:41:39.292-04:00

E. L. Doctorow once said that "writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." Today, turn on the headlights and travel the distance you can. Maybe it's just 15 mintes of editing. Maybe it's writing a short scene or a bit of dialogue. Maybe you write the dialogue first, then turn on the headlights tomorrow and

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-91085320604768204362010-07-17T14:01:00.005-04:002010-07-17T14:40:28.244-04:00

"This is the first important lesson that the writer must learn. Writing a novel is gathering smoke. It's an excursion into the ether of ideas. There's no time to waste. You must work with that idea as well as you can, jotting down notes and dialogue." - Walter Mosley, from "For Authors, Fragile Ideas Need Loving Every Day"I feel "the ether of ideas." It is that dreamy place in the gentle quiet

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-3168659653381462852010-07-15T17:50:00.011-04:002010-07-24T02:00:04.886-04:00

John Gardner, On Becoming a Novelist, "The Writer's Nature":"As for the quality of strangeness, it is hard to know what can be said. There can be no great art, according to the poet Coleridge, without a certain strangeness. Most readers will recognize at once that he's right. There come moments in every great novel when we are startled by some development that is at once perfectly fitting and

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-5450461606179256282010-07-14T15:22:00.002-04:002010-07-14T15:25:01.835-04:00

"How can you write if you can't cry?" Ring Lardner

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-83335920638520345112010-07-13T10:39:00.007-04:002010-07-13T11:01:33.548-04:00

"I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil."Truman CapoteCutting passages and scenes you love, writing you've labored over with the sort of devotion and intensity a new mother shows her young,can be gut-wrenching. The only rule for me in writing is this: Does it work? If it doesn't, and many times we know it doesn't (even when we are in love with the sound of our own words), we must

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-5323418959521119672010-07-12T17:33:00.010-04:002010-07-12T18:07:21.502-04:00

From editor Malcolm Cowley's introduction to Writers at Work: The Paris Review InterviewsThe Viking Press, 1959"Apparently the hardest problem for almost any writer, whatever his medium, is getting to work in the morining (or in the afternoon, if he is a late riser like Styron, or even at night). Thornton Wilder says, 'Many writers have told me that they have built up mnemonic devices to start

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-76058916678471382302010-07-09T12:29:00.013-04:002010-07-24T02:00:37.419-04:00

"Character is the very life of fiction. Setting exists so that the character has someplace to stand, something that can help define him, something he can pick up and throw, if necessary, or eat, or give his girlfriend. Plot exists so the character can discover for himself (and in the process reveal to the reader) what he, the character, is really like: plot forces the character to choice and

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-68308569362928838162010-07-07T17:51:00.010-04:002010-07-07T18:14:14.819-04:00

On Jacksonville's westside is a wonderful used bookstore, Chamblin Book Mine, a maze of room after room crammed full of every genre of writing one can imagine. I could spend days browsing its stacks. Today I found a book of meditations for writers, Walking on Alligators by Susan Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy takes passages about writing from various writers and expands on them, providing for each

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-4928461934631800372010-07-06T17:44:00.002-04:002010-07-06T17:47:43.728-04:00

Today's task? EditingToday's thought? "I try to leave out the parts that people skip." Elmore Leonard

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-13676887555072467792010-07-05T19:33:00.005-04:002010-07-06T17:49:51.095-04:00

I received word today that "Clutter," a "slice of life" story I wrote for the Florida Writers Association's second collection of short stories, was accepted for publication. The collection contains sixty stories by FWA members and will be released at FWA's 2010 conference in Lake Mary, Florida October 22-24. I'm not sure what the FWA has planned for larger distribution, but hearing my piece was

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-38402834463295739192010-06-30T17:27:00.005-04:002010-07-06T17:48:40.434-04:00

Children's Books: An Angelic AutumnKaren Springen, Publisher's WeeklyAre angels the new vampires? Does the new bad-boy hottie come with a pair of wings? According to Karen Springen, they are and, yes, he does. Apparently, angels are in and vamps are on their way out. Of course, last month I heard that mermaids were the new thing in the YA market. For me, naming any trend the newest, bestest plot/

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-9449533416842811402010-06-29T11:50:00.002-04:002010-06-29T11:54:20.797-04:00

"Complacency is a deadweight on the spirit. It smothers imagination."Paula Fox

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-32239729430691781002010-06-28T15:51:00.011-04:002010-06-28T16:13:07.736-04:00

"Hard and unremitting labor is what writing is. It is in that labor that I feel the weight and force of my own life. That is its great and nettlesome reward.It is not easy to convince people who take writing courses just how much labor is required of a writer. After all, their mouths are full of words. They need only transfer those words to paper. Writing can't be really difficult, like learning

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-11078049642137074742010-06-25T17:01:00.006-04:002010-07-24T01:44:47.044-04:00

" . . . part of me was still a writer, I guess, and a writer is a man who has taught his mind to misbehave." Mike Noonan, protagonist of Bag of Bones by Stephen King.

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-44066445562669468832010-06-24T14:49:00.005-04:002010-06-24T15:11:05.966-04:00

When I was teaching high school and middle school English, the easiest way to explain to students and parents how to bring up a student's grade was to simply "do the work and try to do it well." In most cases bad grades had less to do with intelligence and talent than it had to do with "time on task," how long the student spent on an assignment or independent study. Greater time on task equaled

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-28511441101117172062010-06-22T11:16:00.005-04:002010-06-22T12:01:27.842-04:00

Yesterday I struggled with two scenes from the novel. What did I need each scene to do? How did these scenes advance the plot? How did each scene mirror the novel as a whole? Had I entered and exited each scene effectively?Often the universe will point me in the right direction when I reach out. Here's where it took me.From The Craft of Writing by William Sloane:"The experience of fiction is

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-18480296673146194652010-06-20T12:58:00.002-04:002010-06-20T13:00:21.938-04:00

"I may neither choose who I would, nor refuse who I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father." William Shakespeare R.I.P., Daddy.

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-13896988173602502252010-06-19T13:51:00.010-04:002010-07-24T01:46:15.540-04:00

Feeling a bit snarky today. In honor of the smug snark that lies in the hearts of every writer now and then, two quotes from two of the greats."This is what I find encouraging about the writing trade: They allow mediocre people who are patient and industrious to revise their stupidity, to edit themselves into something like intelligence. They also allow lunatics to seem saner than sane." - Kurt

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-83565862152137050862010-06-18T18:16:00.008-04:002010-07-24T01:53:05.990-04:00

Publishers Weekly reports on international novels making the scene.Crime and Squirrels Lead Foreign ListsCrime novels and feel-good story about the squirrels of Central Park head the list of must-read international novels. I've never been a big fan of crime novels, but The Squirrels of Central Park Are Sad on Monday by French novelist Katherine Pancol has piqued my interest. How about combining

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-26795878617476325452010-06-17T20:23:00.007-04:002010-06-17T20:47:37.879-04:00

I wanted to post something inspirational today. Yesterday's post? Well ... I feel rather bad about it. I don't mean to sound negative, but I'm a realist. I think we all have days when writing is more pain than delight, more terror than thrill. But if we have too many of those days, we may lay down the pen, put away the keyboard, starve our muse from sheer fear and neglect. So, we must find ways

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-74926516550166159732010-06-16T20:17:00.007-04:002010-06-16T20:36:35.031-04:00

"Writing is so difficult that I often feel that writers, having had their hell on earth, will escape all punishment hereafter." - Jessamyn WestWhile my writing day has not been "hell on earth" today, I think every writer feels this way on occasion.6 Ways to Get Through The Writing Day From Hell:1. Talk to a friend or fellow writer.2. Read words of inspiration.3. Take a walk.4. Eat a good meal.5.

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-52268098150730433632010-06-14T18:54:00.006-04:002010-06-14T19:20:34.631-04:00

I like collecting practical advice for the young writer. In my case, I'm not young, but I am young in my quest for publication. There were the attempts in my early twenties at short story publication in the small presses of the day. And, later in my early thirties, I found some success in the local poetry scene. But, now in my early forties, I've begun my first full-fledged attempt at writing and

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-24804189458752277482010-06-13T14:14:00.003-04:002010-06-13T14:30:26.367-04:00

Publisher's Weekly reports on indie sales of Meyer's newly-released novella.'Bree Tanner' Proves Lackluster for IndiesI checked this book out yesterday at B&N. I was surprised to find it was 176 pages long, which seems long to me for a novella. This article reports the book to be 190+ pages, which I believe to be incorrect. What constitutes a novella these days? Of course, the font size was

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-49504515795879383832010-06-11T15:22:00.004-04:002010-07-24T01:51:38.470-04:00

"I'm not sure a bad person can write a good book. If art doesn't make us better, then what on earth is it for?" - Alice Walker

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-91973174525573223572010-06-07T14:02:00.005-04:002010-06-07T14:13:57.677-04:00

I was saddened by the news of respected journalist Helen Thomas' sudden resignation/retirement from the White House Press Corps. Although I disagree with her remarks regarding Israel, I champion her right to say them.Today's thought for the day goes out to Thomas and all the other women who show the courage to speak their convictions, even those with whom we may differ in opinion and ideology."

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-14269049533221440882010-06-04T08:43:00.012-04:002010-07-24T01:47:16.130-04:00

I think I have Book Attention Deficiet Disorder, or BADD. Currently, these are the books I'm reading: Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn, Negotiating with the Dead by Margaret Atwood, On Writing Well by William Zinsser, Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity by Howard Gardner, and some freelance writing book by Robert Bly, which is in the back seat of my SUV, along with Stephen King's Bag of

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-73204609390707889242010-06-03T12:28:00.005-04:002010-06-03T12:46:54.955-04:00

Novel Writing: Choosing a Method that Works Best for You by Margo L. DillQuick and easy article by Margo L. Dill on methods for novel writing.I've plotted out the entire book using index cards. Each color index cards represents a different type of scene. Red cards indicate major plot point scenes, purple cards represent scenes that preview the plot point scenes and heighten tension and suspense,

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-62513122251321832912010-06-02T20:50:00.007-04:002010-06-02T21:03:54.117-04:00

The 10 strangest books in the English language - Comment Central - Times Online - WBLGI suppose there is an audience for everything. Check out this link to Times Online blog Comment Central on Abe Books' online feature Weird Book Room.In literature, as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others. - Andre Maurois

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-91196527255386026972010-06-01T12:20:00.009-04:002010-06-01T12:37:00.551-04:00

"Let Your Creative Spirit Soar" -- that's University of North Florida's slogan for this year's writers conference. My place is saved and I'm looking forward to the events August 6-8. This year's keynote speaker is Steve Berry, N.Y. Times bestselling author of The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Alexandria Link, and The Venetian Betrayal.To register for UNF's 2010 Writers Conference online, follow the

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-43914269707501371632010-05-31T21:19:00.009-04:002010-05-31T21:35:33.528-04:00

From Writer UnboxedPublishing: End of an era?May 31st, 2010 by Kathleen Bolton Garrison Keillor. Man, I love him and his rich voice booming Good Thoughts to writers every morning on NPR’s Writer’s Almanac.Garrison Keillor thinks publishing as we know it is over."Call me a pessimist, call me Ishmael, but I think that book publishing is about to slide into the sea.We live in a literate time, and

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-83728020105093563892010-05-31T17:32:00.008-04:002010-05-31T21:30:50.700-04:00

Found a copy of Margaret Atwood's Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing at the Hospice Thrift Store today for $1.30, which made me excited to find such a treasure at such a price and sad to see any work by such a talent as Atwood for sale for such a pittance, even at a thrift store. I can't wait to read it.Quote from random page turn:"In all such magician or wizard or illusionist figures

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-28626169467478087702010-05-30T13:14:00.008-04:002010-05-30T13:27:30.082-04:00

Today's thought comes from composer Edgar Varese as spoken to a reported by modern dance legend Martha Graham."Everyone is born with genius but most perople only keep it a few minutes."The Genius of Martha Graham

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-18856008689368720442010-05-29T21:20:00.005-04:002010-07-24T02:10:38.207-04:00

Ran across a funny and delightful video of Amy Tan speaking on creativity at the 2008 TED conference. Tan speaks of how nothing can come out of something and how we create. I particularly connected to her thoughts about finding focus and seeing elements in the universe that may have been missed by us before but were always there and can lead us to create the work are mind/spirit wants us to

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-16796807976082269112010-05-28T16:07:00.015-04:002010-07-24T01:59:16.555-04:00

I'm busy plotting the novel this weekend. I've stumbled upon an efficient means of laying out the plot, and I do mean "laying out." More will be revealed later.I don't have much in the way of family. Both my parents were somewhat estranged from their siblings and we moved away from my relatives, mostly in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, when I was twelve. I find family where I can. Sometimes,

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4121419806374093680.post-58388685970818029232010-05-27T15:37:00.013-04:002010-05-27T16:06:48.113-04:00

Fiction writing is not a place for the safe, for the easy, for the sweet and the shiny.Tell the story you fear to tell.Currently, I'm outlining chapters of my manuscript rewrite for Gems in the Rough (formerly Ruby Rising). I avoid stories about fathers. Mine was difficult, distant, demanding. I've spent quite some time and money trying not to think about fathers. So, I was struck when it was

KM Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18246169806891212476noreply@blogger.com2