English is an ever-evolving and vital language. Influenced by everything from hip hop to high tech to Facebook, it reflects an ever-evolving culture. Proof: Merriam-Webster has just published the sixth edition of The Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary updated with 300 new words. It seems to me that in the Scrabble world that’s a lot. Some […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Jessica Page Morrell' Category
Quick take: secondary characters need to shine
“Treat all your secondary characters like they think the book’s about them.” ~ Jocelyn Hughes
Read the rest of this entry »Writers can Change the World
Every time I leave home more autumn colors are blazing and flaming, transforming the countryside. A few times when I was in my car on back roads I just wanted to keep driving into the changing light. Like millions I watched the Kavenaugh hearing this week and like many millions I joined the important conversations […]
Read the rest of this entry »Word of the day: glean
GLEAN: Original meaning was to gather grain left behind by reapers after the harvest (Middle English). These days it has come to mean gathering information or other resources bit by bit, with some effort or to gather gradually. With thanks from Robert MacFarlane. Keep writing, keep dreaming, keep collecting words
Read the rest of this entry »Word by Word: Is Anglo-Saxon the answer?
We had our first significant rain since June on Tuesday and yesterday a rattling, loud downpour smashed down along with thunder and lightning and made you grateful for your roof. Phew. As you can imagine, nothing is more welcome during wildfire season. I’ve also got friends and family in the path of Hurricane Florence, so […]
Read the rest of this entry »Jeanette Winterson’s 10 Rules for Writing
I write lists, I love lists, I live by lists. Writers’ lists of advice distill hard-earned wisdom and common sense. I don’t always agree with their suggestions, but am always curious about what other writers have learned about craft and butt-in-the-chair sticktoitness. I’ll be adding some of my own lists here in the coming weeks. […]
Read the rest of this entry »Hooked: The Dropper by Ron McLarty
We’ve got a few days respite from the heat here and the wildfire smoke that was choking our region has dissipated, though fires are still burning. The good news is that one fire to the east of the Cascades is nearly contained. Ron McLarty wrote one of my favorite all-time novels, The Memory of Running. […]
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