“Pick Six” Writing Tips

robert clay norman
Author Robert Clay Norman

Football season is here, and so I offer these suggestions to assist you in scoring your own “touchdown.” (For you non-pigskinners, “Pick Six” refers to a defensive touchdown from an intercepted pass.) My book is a narrative memoir, but I think these principles would apply to both fiction and non-fiction writing. Some of these tips come from others, and I pass them along certain that the originators would encourage it. A few of the ideas are mine. Perhaps some of these tips will be of help to you.

 

1. Buy the book Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark. It is only about $9, and contains 50 tips that will improve your writing skills. It is a small book and a fun read. One good thing about this book is that you will realize that you are already using some of these tools, and reading this book will reinforce and validate your work thus far. Even better, you can pick and choose which tools to emphasize and adopt. The book can be read in any order you select. The reader doesn’t have to begin at the beginning in order to gain insight into these tips. Besides, can any of us really remember 50 of anything? Clark does a wonderful job of offering dozens of useful tools, and the user can consider and accept those of choice. Kind of like a great Asian lunch buffet. Continue reading ““Pick Six” Writing Tips”

Seventeen-Year-Old Author Announces New Release

the scrolls of xavierSeventeen-year-old author John Ashley is pleased to announce the release of his new science-fiction/action-adventure novel: The Scrolls of Xavier.

In order to shed light upon the dangerous secrets of the vast, new planet, Xavier997, Captain Michael Dawn must go across its globe to recover five ancient artifacts whose purpose and creators are unknown. The path to these items is wrought with every danger Xavier can throw at him, including the primitive, yet cunning tribes of aliens that defend them. If he cannot overcome these challenges then the Scrolls will never be found.

Without the Scrolls, Xavier will be lost. With them, it might be even worse.

The Scrolls of Xavier was released on September 11, 2012 and is available from Amazon US, Amazon UKBarnes and Noble and Smashwords.

Sneak Peek: Scrambled

Scrambled
by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones

What happens to an unhappy woman who leaves her husband only to discover that she may have just made a terrible mistake? So horrible, her choice threatens to end her very life?

Susan believes that the grass is greener on the other side. Not that her current life is bad, necessarily; it’s just boring and lifeless, kind of like the old matted rug on her dining room floor. Susan thinks her marriage has just grown – well, old. Her husband, Bob, has gained tremendous weight and continues to gain, and his health suffers. She must work at a job she hates full-time to provide the little sustenance they have. He, on the other hand, works very little (because of his health) and prefers spending his days watching television or surfing the Internet. Besides, there’s her problem of not getting pregnant that can’t help but contribute to his unhappiness.

Can Susan continue to live her life at the hotel knowing that she might be killed herself or imprisoned for life? Will she be able to find the real murderer with the help of the eccentric Ms. Martha Boaz?

Scrambled is available through Amazon.com, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble.

And now, an excerpt from Scrambled: Continue reading “Sneak Peek: Scrambled”

Who Ya Gonna Call?

When my son was little one of his favourite movies, which he watched over and over on VHS was “GhostBusters”. I thought it was pretty harmless. But when his little sister was only two, while her daddy was giving her a bath, piped up, all innocence and wide eyes, and declared, “I’ve seen s**t that would turn you white!” it gave me pause. Daddy didn’t react and she never said it again. We had a great laugh over it. Continue reading “Who Ya Gonna Call?”