where the writers are

Writing

  • Short Circuit - win a copy of the indispensible guide to the short story!

    November 7, 2009

    • There will be much much  more on this over the next few weeks and months, but for right now, head over to Salt's blog to win a copy of Short Circuit -  the hot-off-the-press Guide to the Art of the Short Story, edited by my great friend and colleague, the wondrous and extremely hard-working Vanessa Gebbie. Short Circuit includes my essay on flash fiction and I am deeply honoured to be in the ...
  • I THINK I'VE CRACKED THE NEW PUBLISHING CODE!

    November 7, 2009

    • Michael threw the gauntlet and it dropped on my feet. After a toe-throbbing hop about, I think I’ve cracked the new publishing code. Keeping this flash of insight locked in my typing fingers is harder than losing this last 10 pounds! When I awoke this morning, the answer was in my head, fully fleshed out and in living color. Thanks Michael, for implanting the seed in my brain before bed! ...
  • Intimate with Neil Gaiman: Video Interview

    November 7, 2009

    • In Neil Gaimen's journal  he writes this,"And finally, a link to Joanne Leow's blog. It was lovely to see her again, four years on, when I went to Singapore - it was a great interview, and you can watch us chatting about writing, what I'm currently up to, signings, and why I don't write the same sorts of things twice in a row, at the Primetime Morning site: here's part 1 and part ...
  • When I was a child

    November 7, 2009

    • When I was a child, I went through many horrible things. I was a victim of incest.  I was four, when my one of my aunts, Judith who’s also biological mother’s youngest sister had an intercourse with me several times. My biological mother, Catherine and her family were calling me names and they use to view me as a person with special needs or a person with down syndrome. When my biological ...
  • Raking the Leaves of My Mind

    November 6, 2009

    • The other morning I was staring out the window at all the leaves on the ground, marveling at how so much come from almost nothing. A bit of water, a bit of soil, a bit of sun, and something exists where nothing did before. I cherish those leaves. There’s no lawn here, just native grasses, so I don’t need to rake the leaves. I let them finish out their natural cycle of replenishing the soil ...
  • Writing for the Spelling Impaired and Grammatically Challenged

    November 6, 2009

    • I posted this some time ago. Today, I received an email of thanks because it helped someone. I thought it might be worth setting out again for any writer who might be spelling impaired or grammatically challenged. Plus, for dyslexic writers of all ages there is hope. You can improve your writing skills. Here are some of my tried and true writing tricks for challenged writers. - Start A List - ...
  • HOW MUCH DOES YOUR DAY COST?

    November 5, 2009

    • What is your price? To own your day. Really own it. Every waking hour. To not have to cheerlead yourself out the door in the morning and devote your time to a passionless job. I read an article this week in Zoomer Magazine that reported the following dream as survey respondents' number one goal: "To be a successful entrepreneur, have more time, travel the world in luxury, be a ...
  • Writing under stress

    November 5, 2009

    • Working and writing could be an exercise that isn't just tedious but a dual enterprise in which each element nourishes another. The only thing is knowing how to get going in the midst of such chaos without losing one's head, holding all the threads together and working towards a sustained harmony. One thing always gets the better of another....   Between pauses at my work, I have tried to ...
  • 7 Common First Draft Errors Beyond Typos

    November 5, 2009

    • Please, I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be a fiction editor. I have worked editing nonfiction, but NF is a completely different animal. I have a scientist’s eye. I zoom in on patterns, and look for things falling outside the norm. I created this list because these are issues I address everyday in comment boxes on writing websites. I hope it helps. The examples are pulled from my ...
  • My Exclusive Author Interview, discussing what it took to write the paranormal thriller Demon Hunter: The Chosen One

    November 5, 2009

    • My exclusive interview with The Authors Show is up and running. I'll be discussing what it took to write my paranormal thriller DEMON HUNTER: THE CHOSEN ONE, the first in a trilogy. The link to: THE AUTHORS SHOW (under TV version) To find out about Demon Hunter... ... read an excerpt ...watch the video Happy hunting! Cynthia Vespia www.CynthiaVespia.com