Author Archives: aliceaudrey
Suzie’s House 4: … Or Broken….
When Vin brought his limping taxi into the Capital Cabs garage, the left fender rubbed the tire, the muffler scraped the ground noisily, and the right rear view mirror hung by a wire. At least Vin hoped the mirror still hung there. Considering the way it had flopped around during the worst of it, the mirror might be long gone. The smell of gasoline and oil assailed him as he got out from behind the wheel. . “Vinny, Vinny, Vinny. […]
Don't Sweat The Little Stuff
Yesterday I gave examples of why details are important in writing fiction. This week I tell you not to worry about them. What? Make up my mind? Paradoxically, I believe both are true because of two things. 1] Details are easy to layer in and can be layered in at any point in the writing process without creating huge problems for a story. 2] Too much concern over details at the wrong points in the writing process can cause writer’s […]
The Life of Your Story Is In The Details
The devil may be in the details, but so is the life of your story. This was not a lesson I learned easily. It was darned hard for my critique partners to get my head out of the clouds so I could focus on the five senses. To this day I have to remember to go back and add more. Details make a huge difference. I’m afraid this is the sort of thing most people aren’t going to believe without […]
FanLit Forever Challenge 3 Round 1 Deadline
Just a reminder, the submissions aren’t due until FRIDAY, folks. You’ve got an extra day to work on them. But don’t slack off and make me post them all on Friday at midnight, please. Even I sleep sometime. Alice
Testing YouTube
Let’s see if I can get this thing to work. Yes! Break through! I love music videos. 😀 Next up? Beer ads! You’ll have to go see Jill for the singing cookies. Alice
Lettuce Soup
Here’s another strange but good recipe for you. And easy! Never forget easy. I got it from my mother. Lord knows where she got it from. . 1 can beef broth 1 can water 1/2 cup frozen peas 1 cup lettuce, approximately In a medium saucepan bring broth and water to a boil. Dump in peas. Tear lettuce into salad-size pieces. Drop into saucepan with everything else. Cook until lettuce is limp, aprox 2 minutes. Serve. Bon Appetite! . Alice
Watch This Space
I was planning on putting some of Mr. Al’s post cards up today, but I’m having technical difficulties. I’ll have to put them up next weekend. By then I should have everything working. He has a wild sense of humor. It’s worth checking out. Alice
Curly Hair
One of my reading pet peeves is the way writer’s portray curly hair. Too often it is clear the writer has no idea what curly hair is like. So in the interest of authenticity, I thought I’d talk about it. First of all, like most things, one head of curly hair is not necessarily like another. Since I didn’t have curly hair until my early teens, and no one in my family could help me deal with it, I became […]
Suzie’s House 3: Rules Are Made to Be Bent…
Miranda balanced precariously in her wonderfully wild, high heel shoes as she crouched down to put an arm across her best friend’s shoulders. She tuned out the homey kitchen, the smell of soup, and the ticking of the clock which marked the seconds until Suzie’s son came home from middle-school, claiming his mother’s full attention. “Face it Suzie-Woozie. It’s take me in or lose the house.” She watched Suzie’s plain, make-up-deficient face for any sign of resignation. As soon as […]
Just Do It
I used to hate Nike ads that use the line. Just do it? Like anything is really that easy. Just do it could have me diving off bridges, slogging through the everglades, and generally out breaking my neck. But when it comes to writing, there’s a lot to be said for “just do it.” Now and then I will run across writers who desperately want to find an easy out. They want rough drafts to come out perfectly polished. They […]
Pacing
Early in my writing efforts I believed good pacing was simply to get the action going as fast as you could then keep it going as fast as possible until the end. How exhausting for both reader and writer. Pacing needs to have an ebb and flow in order to keep a reader’s interest. The rate of the ebb and flow should match the tone of the story. A slow paced Romantic Suspense may find it harder to keep readers […]
Messing Around
Today I’m just messing around. I’ve been meaning to update my blogroll for a while and stuff like that. I was going to crack a joke, but now I’m not sure where I put it. Hey, can anyone out there tell me how to put a YouTube thing on my blog? I’ve got a couple I’d like to share. And not even the cookie one on Jill’s blog, which is a good one, BTW. Alice
Hollywood Salad
Since January is “make up for rum balls month,” I figure this is a good time to share healthy recipes. Here’s one my mother learned from my great uncle. That’s a doctor teaching a food scientist a new recipe. Wash and shred half a head of lettuce Pile the lettuce on a plate sprinkle with garlic salt and balsamic vinegar. . Bon Appetite . Alice
CM the Scientist
If you’ve ever considered using a scientist as a character in an Historical, go check out today’s blog. Alice
