Writers Envy

Will PenningtonNovember 20, 2017November 20, 2017Leave a comment

On Writing: Elements of a Scene, by Samantha House

Excellent post! Excellent source of resource material for writers. Make sure you follow the link to Jami Gold’s website. Miss this, and miss the writing boat! Originally posted on Samantha House: For those of you who follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen that I’m editing again. This time around I’ve been using the Elements of a Scene Worksheet by Jami Gold and freaking hell has … Continue reading On Writing: Elements of a Scene, by Samantha House

Will PenningtonOctober 9, 2017October 9, 20171 Comment

On Editing

Admit it, you love to edit, don’t you? I can see you now as you read through your printed manuscript, coffee cup in one hand, yummy croissant in the other, eyes whizzing left to right as you enter the world of magic you pulled from your storyteller’s mind. Raindrops catch your attention as they patter against the window and merge into a sheet of water … Continue reading On Editing

Will PenningtonOctober 1, 2017October 1, 201725 Comments

Practiced, Pitched, Punched

Well, I pitched to five agents during the SavvyAuthors September Pitch Fest. All five shot me down. Between them, they must have received over a thousand pitches. Some writers pitched to all of the agents (there were publishing house editors too, but I didn’t pitch to them). Out of the ninety requests from those agents for full or partial manuscripts, I was not one of … Continue reading Practiced, Pitched, Punched

Will PenningtonSeptember 15, 2017November 4, 20173 Comments

Critique My Pitch: Part Four, A Wished-For Love

“Two dead women, a death in Vietnam, and an infant hastily given up for adoption stand between Aida and marriage to Tom, the man of her dreams.” This is the pitch I’m using in the pitch event over at SavvyAuthors blog. The Pitch Event runs through midnight 17 September. You may pitch to both agents and publishers. Continue reading Critique My Pitch: Part Four, A Wished-For Love

Will PenningtonSeptember 13, 2017November 4, 201710 Comments

Critique My Pitch, Part Three: A Wished-For Love

“Decades after their tragic deaths, two women haunt the lives of two men broken by grief and a hasty adoption. One of the men finally comes to terms with his loss and finds love again. One cannot.” I didn’t provide a description of my story in previous posts, so I’ve added one here to help you critique my pitch. You’ll note there are two Susannas. … Continue reading Critique My Pitch, Part Three: A Wished-For Love

Will PenningtonSeptember 12, 2017November 4, 201710 Comments

Critique My Pitch, Part Two: A Wished-For Love

“Two dead women stand between Aida and marriage to Tom, the man of her dreams.” Thank you to everyone who commented on my original pitch. This is my latest draft. Comments and suggestions welcome! Continue reading Critique My Pitch, Part Two: A Wished-For Love

Honey Ko

A Wished-For Love, Second Beta Review

I can’t count the times I’ve been asked by a writer to provide “an honest” critique or review of his work. Invariably, I think to myself, “What? I’m going to give you a dishonest review? I’m going to lie to you?” I think what they mean is they don’t want me to spare their feelings. I never ask for an honest critique. Last month, I … Continue reading A Wished-For Love, Second Beta Review

Will PenningtonJuly 31, 2017November 4, 20173 Comments

Honey Ko

A Wished-For Love: First Beta Review

The last three weeks have been a pleasant vacation from writing and posting. The break presented an opportunity to catch up on chores and reading, both of which suffered from lack of attention. I needed to step away and take a breather after finishing the novel that consumed so much of my life since first putting pen to paper in December 2013. “A Wished-For Love” … Continue reading A Wished-For Love: First Beta Review

Will PenningtonJuly 14, 2017November 4, 201717 Comments

Will PenningtonJune 23, 201725 Comments

Editing — A Wished-For Love

I read constantly that editing is hard. No. Editing is not hard. Writing is hard. Editing is tedious. Excruciatingly boring. Gut-wrenchingly, the-sun-is-shining-for-the-first-time-in-weeks, birds-are-singing, optimism-is-everywhere, but-I’m-stuck-behind-this-desk-in-pursuit-of-my-laudable-goal, boring. Oh, look; Gone With the Wind is on TV! Oh, oh, oh! A Gilligan’s Island rerun marathon! Continue reading Editing — A Wished-For Love

Will PenningtonJune 10, 2017June 10, 201718 Comments

Write Crisp – Word Choice

I apologize if the new title for my writing posts makes you hungry. I cannot stop thinking of Rice Crispies; does any cereal hold more sugar? As a ten-year old boy, I reached for unsweetened cereal in the cupboard. I wanted to choose the amount of sugar on my own. Some cereals tantalized my tongue with lots of added sugar, while others were delicious with … Continue reading Write Crisp – Word Choice

Will PenningtonJune 8, 2017June 9, 201710 Comments

Write Tight? Or Write Crisp?

So, there I was, reading calmkate’s response to today’s Daily Prompt, Crisp, and, as is my wont, pondering ways to submit an outside-the-box response of my own. That led to a headache which made me stop thinking and make some tea (Stash brand Licorice Spice, BTW). Two tea bag tea, too (yeah, I know, but I drink tea out of a huge coffee mug). Writing … Continue reading Write Tight? Or Write Crisp?

Will PenningtonJune 6, 2017June 6, 201715 Comments

Write Tight

I’m not a note taker. Nor am I a retainer. However, I carry a paper brain with me to meetings, jot things down, order them, number them, draw lines (with a ruler) through completed (or wishful thinking-completed) items, and look with jealousy at people who have advanced degrees in note taking. Do Type A folks take notes? Or are note takers Type C? I’m a … Continue reading Write Tight

Will PenningtonJune 2, 2017November 4, 201716 Comments

Write Tight

Writer’s dilemmas are a part of writing. They occur with every well-thought out novel. If you don’t find yourself boxed in somehow, then you probably have not written a plot complex enough to grab the reader and hold her attention. Plots should resemble life in its complexities. They need twists and turns, unexpected outcomes, surprises, and falls from cliffs with protagonists clinging by fingertips to … Continue reading Write Tight

Will PenningtonMay 31, 20174 Comments

Mr. Grundy’s English Class

Word Choice. Ernest Hemingway is said to have paused writing for days while searching for the right word. I don’t have the patience for that, though I will put my pen down and spend a few minutes racking my brain for the word on the tip of my tongue. I suspect Ernest had more on his mind than finding lexicologic Nirvana. One word that I … Continue reading Mr. Grundy’s English Class

Will PenningtonMay 30, 201711 Comments

Mr. Grundy’s English Class

I often see writers use the term “aircrafts” when referring to two or more aircraft. “Aircraft” is the correct term for both singular and plural cases. Example the first: “The aircraft flew until it ran out of fuel. Then it made a sudden landing.” Example the second: “The aircraft were parked wingtip to wingtip making them easy targets for strafing by treacherous seagulls. It’s one … Continue reading Mr. Grundy’s English Class

Reblogs

Write Tight

Re-blogged from Cafe Reading Site. You don’t need the exclamation point if you convey your thought well enough in words. That is my goal. In my 90K word novel, I have no exclamation points. Let your characters’ actions speak for themselves. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the … Continue reading Write Tight

Will PenningtonMay 18, 20175 Comments

Will PenningtonMarch 28, 2017November 4, 201745 Comments

Writing, and Phantom Stories

Nearly a year ago, I began submitting my novel, Honey Ko, to agents. In all, I queried about 65 agents, 24 of whom were kind enough to respond with a gentle “decline.” One agent’s response was so kind I imagined her typing my rejection while crying and feeling dreadful, just dreadful that she couldn’t represent me. I nearly responded with a “There, there. It’s okay. It’s … Continue reading Writing, and Phantom Stories

Will PenningtonMay 27, 2016February 24, 201710 Comments

Pitching to Agents: My Duh Moment

Hello lovely people, I received another polite frownie-button rejection email today. That brings me to five rejections from twenty-two submissions. That’s okay, though. I never expected my journey to be easy, and I expected rejections. That’s the way it is. However, rejection doesn’t have to lead to dejection. I may feel otherwise if I reach one-hundred submissions without having an agent fly to … Continue reading Pitching to Agents: My Duh Moment