“Spiral” has more meanings than one for sixteen-year-old Madz Monroe, who quits skating only to be faced with a medical apocalypse. Scared of sharing her diagnosis, she hides herself and her illness from others, including her parents’ landscaper, her crush. The experience opens her eyes to a world of suffering while helping her discover the…
Spinning Reality: How to keep realistic fiction fictitious
(Example book: The Beauty of a Spiral, my contemporary YA novel) For many years, my daughters and I figure-skated. During this time, I watched a movie with a figure-skating theme. I remember thinking that certain scenes weren’t realistic, namely one in which a skater takes a test. This test was nothing like any skating test…
Review: Vellum
Without my Vellum software, I wouldn’t have published The Beauty of a Spiral yet. Vellum is costly at 249.99 (199.99 if you want just the ebook software). Making up for that, it’s a one-and-done purchase. I don’t pay a monthly fee for it, and it formats print and ebook files efficiently, producing an end product…
Review: Grammarly Editor
I’d gone through several rounds of editing my manuscript. Finally, I was ready for a proofread. I’d planned on hiring a professional but decided to try “Grammarly Editor” first. How I did it I set up an account on Grammarly, a free process. The site is easy to navigate. Once I had an account, I…
Verb Moods
As with other grammar issues, verb mood can trip up a writer and stunt the writing process. Avoid confusion, frustration, and errors by getting ahead of the game. Verb moods indicate the way a verb conveys an action or state of being: imperative indicative subjunctive Imperative Recall that this mood signals a command, request, or…
Comma Sense
Is what you remember about comma placement necessarily true? Is your manuscript packed with commas? In this article, I refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) to tackle tricky comma situations and situations where you may think you need a comma but don’t. Keep in mind different style books may have different rules about…
The Essence of an Unusual Love Song
Analyzing a well-written story or poem is like going on a treasure hunt. It helps us find hidden gems—symbols and allusions, for example. These translate into messages or story itself. What we learn through analysis can help us hone our craft. We can learn how to bury gems in our own works or do it…
Review: Fiverr (as a source for beta readers)
Fiverr.com is a website where you can find freelancers offering a variety of services. In my case, I hired two beta readers from this site. As well, you can offer your own services here. Navigating Fiverr I navigated the site easily, signing in through my Google account. To find a beta reader, I clicked on…
Conflict
Stories contain action that hooks readers. Conflict propels the action, which eventually leads to a resolution. While a good plot offers readers an escape, it also teaches a lesson. By confronting the external problem, the main character works through an internal issue. The resolution of this emotional conflict changes the course of the hero’s life….
Witchcraft or Rye?
The place was called Salem Village. The year was 1692, when doctors lacked in-depth medical knowledge and religion played a major role in local government. As a result, girls suffering bizarre symptoms were slapped with a diagnosis of “bewitched.” The cure? Find the witches responsible and kill them. The supernatural isn’t the only theory out…