Starlog

  • By request: Who’s verses Whose

    It never occurred to me to do an article on Who’s verses whose, because I don’t think I’ve ever had a problem with it.  I can see how this could be confusing, however. I will try to make this as simple as possible. “Who’s” is kind of like “it’s”.   It is a contraction of two… Read more

  • What Stupid writing thing did your beta reader come up with this week? “As” easy as it seems?

    Apparently, I like the word As. It’s a little word.  So small, so subtle, BUT SO TROUBLESOME. Yeah, I admit it, I’m an “as” junkie.  I love combining sentences.  I like the way “as” makes sentences flow together in such a beautiful flowery way.  But, unfortunately, too much of a good thing stands out. The… Read more

  • Reining in the The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer – A Review of Fur Face by Jon Gibbs

    I found out why The Monomaniacal Middle Grade Reviewer stopped doing reviews.  He read “Fur Face” by Jon Gibbs, and really enjoyed it.  However, he knew I wanted him to review it, but he was embarrassed to do one because he met the author at a recent book signing. “Well, did you like the story?”… Read more

  • Writer’s Retreat. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    When I signed up for my writer’s retreat, I was looking forward to a weekend away from the chaos of my life. I had a vision of a sleepy little cabin and absolute quiet, with 7 others as focused as I was. Boy, was I in for a surprise. My husband warned me, “There’s probably… Read more

  • Flash Fiction Friday – On Tuesday – The Pink Monkey

    I’m a grown woman, a corporate executive—with a pink monkey in her office.  He hangs there from one arm, attached to my cubicle wall with a Velcro hand.  He stares at me with those goofy eyes.  He warms me inside. Toys at work?  How unprofessional. I smile.  It’s not just a toy.  It never really… Read more

  • ROW 80 Writing to a Deadline Part 7: “Writing from the Outline” #2 AKA: OMIGOSH I did it!

    OMIGOSH I did it! Okay, I was not a fan of the outline going into this, but now I totally am.  I finished the first draft this weekend, and despite the lack of explosions, I am quite tickled with it. 1.       Read the section of the outline for the scene I was about to write… Read more