2024-04-14 20:30
The groundhog lied!
Winter hasn’t surrendered in the Washington, DC area. The temperatures drop into the thirties overnight and sometimes barely hit fifties. Then it pops up int… Read More
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Linda Maye Adams | Soldier, Storyteller Blog
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Soldier, Storyteller
2024-03-31 22:30
This wasn’t the topic I started out writing (that was on editing—trimming the story). But it kept calling me because the world around us, and even the technology, doesn&rsquo… Read More
2024-03-17 18:54
This topic surfaced for me while looking at The Writer article by Roberta Fleming Roesch called Guideposts to the First Two Pages (pp. 182-184). “Start with action” is common… Read More
2024-03-04 14:35
To welcome spring in, I’m part of the amazing Feisty Fantasy Females book giveaway. Dice Ford, Superhero, certainly qualifies as a feisty female (much to Quanta’s annoyance). You… Read More
2024-03-03 21:27
Spring is finally poking its head out here in Washington, DC. Still a bit on the cold side, but the days are brighter. According to my sinuses, the oaks and maples have started to bloom. I&r&hell…Read More
2024-02-24 21:12
The above question has taken quite a bit of time for me to process. My futuristic always pictured that I would write full-time, and it got me through some very bad times. Then suddenly I dis… Read More
2024-02-12 19:47
I just returned from my annual visit to Colorado Springs for Superstars, a writing conference. This time around, it seemed kind of messy. The writer I shared my hotel room with broke her ank… Read More
2024-01-22 17:13
Sometimes I’ve wondered if people are getting stupider.
We have a collision of events…technology that does everything for us. I’m sure there are some people who don&rsq&hell…Read More
2024-01-13 21:33
Peggy’s comment last week about writing fiction being the only creative hobby that society drives you to make lots of money has fired up my Intellection to understand this problem. You… Read More
2024-01-10 21:59
When I was cowriting many years ago, cowriter and I jumped on the founding of International Thriller Writers. I’m a charter associate member, so I get correspondence from them.
They… Read More
2024-01-07 14:36
This is probably one of the more controversial opinions I’ll have. My Intellection is giving inner critic a job, and inner critic is happily rolling up its sleeves.
When my former c… Read More
2024-01-05 20:27
After writing my post “What happens if you can’t do goals?” the comments hit a nerve. I realized that writing had lost some of its fun for me. This was a very subtle change… Read More
2023-12-31 14:46
On wooden brown background transparent numbers 2024, small tricolor kitten among Christmas decorations balls on texture of foil golden tinsel, burgundy fabric. New Year symbol, planar, calen… Read More
2023-12-17 13:44
white dog touches a carrot with its nose to a snowman in a Santa hat and a striped scarf. Winter season in a snowy forest. Friendship, humor, Christmas holidaysImage (C) [email protected] / Depos… Read More
2023-12-10 01:24
Ginger cat lying on blanket upside down. Sleepy pet relaxing and feeling comfortable at home on sunny morningPhoto (C) maryviolet / Deposit Photos
This is one of the skills that can be co… Read More
2023-12-02 22:45
Hungry dog with sad eyes is waiting for feeding. Cute labrador retriever is holding dog bowl in mouth at cozy home..Image (C) Chalabala | Deposit Photos. Dogs definitely understand time when… Read More
2023-11-25 19:08
Cute gray kitten sleeping on carpet at homeImage (C) belchonock / Deposit Photos
Writing magazines like The Writer and Writer’s Digest were always a staple of writing when I was gro… Read More
2023-11-24 23:41
puppy looks in autumn leaves. Image (C) gurinaleksandr / Deposit Photos
We are in the final week of the 2023 Writing Story Bundle. If you haven’t picked up your set, you have only s… Read More
2023-11-18 17:31
Small white kitten laying in an orange pumpkin shaped basket surrounded by gourds pumpkins and squash with fall leaves and orange background. Fun fall harvest theme.Image (C) Sheilaf2002 / D… Read More
2023-11-17 21:21
Photo (C) oov / DepositPhotos
This one you should find fun. I’m debunking the bad writing advice. It’s so big that it’s more than one part! Feel free to comment with you… Read More
2023-11-12 23:52
I just returned from 20Books in Las Vegas, the last one. It will be Author Nation in 2024. Lots good stuff, and I got to meet blog reader/writer Peggy and her husband Thomas, and her two dog… Read More
2023-10-28 21:53
Happy Halloween! Cute kitten sitting in jack o lantern candy bucket on background of pumpkin with bats. Kitten posing at holiday decorations, celebrating halloween at home. Photo (C) Sonyach… Read More
2023-10-15 21:48
portrait of a purebred jack russel terrier laid down on the grass in studioPhoto © cynoclub |Deposit Photps
I spent the day being driven crazy by ProWriting Aid’s AI. I used it… Read More
2023-10-08 16:44
Image © loriklaszlo | Deposit Photos
If you’re wondering why I’m doing a lot of “better writer” posts, it’s because I landed in The 2023 Novel Writing T… Read More
2023-10-05 18:43
I’m in StoryBundle again! Please share. I’ve always found the bundles an excellent source of writing advice.
The 2023 Novel Writing Tools – curated by Kevin J. Ande… Read More
2023-09-30 22:04
Cute business cat wearing glasses reading notebook (book)Image © vvvita / Deposit Photos (I’m writing a story with a Siamese cat in it.)
This post is inspired by a StoryGrid vi… Read More
2023-09-24 21:42
mugshot of a wanted dog holding a bannerImage © damedeeso | Deposit Photos
The reason I talk about being a pantser (a writer who doesn’t outline) is because I wished I run acro… Read More
2023-09-17 22:00
Image ©mis1il | Deposit Photos
As I write this, we’ve already begun the slide into fall (autumn being the British term!). The days are cooler, though that’ll change the m… Read More
2023-09-09 21:12
curly coated retriever, golden retriever, labrador, nova scotia duck tolling retriever and flat coated retriever dogs sitting together outdoorsPhoto © ots-photo | Deposit Photos
Befo… Read More
2023-08-27 21:48
Two curious dogs stand on pond dock watching over water.Photo © ccestep8 } Deposit Photos
Sometimes things just drop right into your lap.
I’ve been hot on the trail for othe… Read More
2023-08-13 20:39
Nose of chihuahua, my lovely dogPhoto © bimka1 | DepositPhotos
I picked the sense of smell to start with first because it’s one of the hardest senses for me to add to the story… Read More
2023-07-28 18:00
Cute dog in room with operating electric fanPhoto © serezniy | Deposit Photo. The humidity is so high that even air conditioning doesn’t help.
This is part 2 of a freaking huge… Read More
2023-07-22 17:10
Animal – Old dog. labrador retriever macro shot.Photo © mythja | Deposit Photos
This week, most of the construction across the street seems to be finished, except for some clea… Read More
2023-07-15 18:34
Dog Jack Russell Terrier looks at the water.Image © Audit2006 | Deposit Photos
Peggy wanted emotions, and it’s been an area I’ve been trying to understand more about. My… Read More
2023-07-11 11:22
A small red dog sleeps on his master’s bed and pillowPhoto © Anastasiyastar87 | Deposit Photos (I had a dog like this; it’s a miniature pinscher)
I’m hot on the tra… Read More
2023-07-09 15:05
Tricolor Australian Shepherd (Aussie) Puppy Looking Out a WindowPhoto (C) herreid | Deposit Photos.
It amazes me how much I’m finding just reading the old The Writer magazines. Mo… Read More
2023-07-08 23:10
Watch dogResponsible Use of Placeholder Brackets in Your Story
Photo © KelkoNiki | Deposit Photos — isn’t the puppy cute?
I thought this would be a fun topic because… Read More
2023-07-06 19:22
That’s right…Dice Ford is available as part of StoryBundle for the next weeks. All the details below.
THE MIRTH AND MAGIC HUMOROUS FANTASY BUNDLE
The Mirth and Magic Humor… Read More
2023-07-01 19:00
Fourth of July pet celebration and Independence day pets celebrating the United States and national federal holiday with dog puppy cat and kitten including bird and hamster wearing hats with… Read More
2023-06-24 18:08
Couple of Jack russell watch the sunset with big sunPhoto © AntonioGravante | Deposit Photos
This post was inspired by the book Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, which dis… Read More
2023-06-18 15:12
cat on beach and blue skyPhoto (C) Pakhnyushchyy | Deposit Photos
This week, I want to share of collection of links to more information about writing.
First up is a book for all of us… Read More
2023-06-11 14:20
jack russel dog resting and relaxing on a hammock or beach chair under umbrella at the beach ocean shore, on summer vacation holidays
Photo © damedeeso | Deposit Photos
This week… Read More
2023-06-04 21:57
Great Dane Photo © dmussman | Deposit Photos (I saw a Great Dane the other day. MMagnificentaginicent–and huge dog)
All the time, I run into people who seem to have either forg… Read More
2023-05-29 13:59
cat touches to the screen of the tablet by paw,creative perspective, the concept of technology for petsPhoto © fantom_rd | Deposit Photos
In the overly generalized writing advice, th… Read More
2023-05-21 22:43
Golden retriever playing in the poolPhoto ©chendongshan | Deposit Photos
The last month or so, I started what I initially called “Depth Curriculum.” It entailed identifyi… Read More
2023-05-14 23:59
Image © [email protected] | Deposit Photos
This was inspired by Peggy’s comment on my last post:
As for me, I’m a very dry writer when it comes to time and senso… Read More
2023-05-07 18:30
dog in bed resting and sleeping , with newspaper, dreaming in bedroom under the blanket , very tired Dog photo © damedeeso / Deposit Photos
Time is a writing topic that doesn’… Read More
2023-04-23 14:06
Striped kitten with book and eyeglasses lying on white bed. Clever cute little domestic cat. Education and back to school.Photo by KuzinaNatali | Deposit Photos
One of the skills that few… Read More
2023-04-16 15:15
Portrait of a labrador retriever holding a telephone with mouth. Because, well, cute dug.The term deep dive is a business term, used to describe an in-depth discussion of a topic. The naming… Read More
2023-04-01 21:01
Image © tatkuptsova } Deposit Photos
I’ve struggled over the years with taking notes on my various writing classes. No one tells you how other than generally pointing in the di… Read More
2023-03-25 21:41
Young woman holding cat and old book, close-upPhoto © belchonock | Deposit Photos
If you search for the phrase “Plotter vs. Pantser” on Google, you’ll turn up a lot… Read More
2023-03-18 19:51
Cardigan Welsh Corgi wearing glasses and looking at laptop ps 10Adorable Corgi © pvl0707 | Deposit Photos
This post is inspired by a comment by Peggy on The Fallacy of the Best Selle… Read More
2023-03-12 17:22
White kitten with black and orange spots on an open book. Little playful kitten on a wooden background. Image © serkucher at Deposit PhotosI’ve been doing long-term thinking about… Read More
2023-03-05 20:51
Spring is just starting to pick up for us, alternating (as usual) between warm and freezing. The cherry blossoms and dogwoods are starting to bloom. I shot the above action picture on a nice… Read More
2023-02-25 21:10
The clever cat is reading fairy tales for kittens. Kittens listen to him carefully. Cat with Book © Iridi | Deposit Photos
Artificial Intelligence has begun to migrate into fiction… Read More
2023-02-19 13:11
Image © racorn | Deposit Photos. Distraught writer or businesswoman with her head lying on her desk in a pile of crumpled paper as she suffers from writer’s block or a total inabi… Read More
2023-02-11 13:23
This week, I’m in Colorado Springs for the Superstars Writing Conference. I’ll be taking an editing workshop from Dean Wesley Smith, so we’ll see how that goes.
So I&rsq&hell…Read More
2023-02-04 20:11
One of my challenges in embracing my Intellection strength is in allowing myself time to think as part of the writing process. I need it. I can see where I’ve had sticking points in th… Read More
2023-01-28 16:10
I’m putting on my input and futuristic hat, and this post is going to make people mad.
The collapse of the traditional book industry for fiction is coming.
It’s probably in… Read More
2023-01-22 20:45
These last few weeks, I’ve been slowly unpacking the new things I’m learning from Writer Faster-Better. We’re just hitting the section on the writing itself. Not craft, but… Read More
2023-01-08 21:05
This week, I’m in the first week of Write Better-Faster 101, which is a deep dive into how strengths play into writing. Which, curiously, can include what goes in the writing.
Mostl… Read More
2023-01-01 18:43
I usually have a theme of sorts for the new year. The one that’s emerged was working with the Clifton Strengths, rather than focusing on writing craft.
I’ve felt a little over… Read More
2022-12-18 21:24
WordPress is giving me the prompt “What skills or lessons have your learned lately?” I suppose that’s appropriate.
I’ve been struggling to get out of the beginning… Read More
2022-12-04 21:27
This week was a rough week for my writing. Something changed in the weather—can’t really tell what it was. But I’ve had sinus headaches all week.
Still, I managed to wra… Read More
2022-11-27 14:48
I both like to travel and don’t. It’s going on an adventure and having fun. But it’s also pretty disruptive. The night before I traveled, the critical voice kept saying, &l&hell…Read More
2022-11-21 00:49
I’m still recovering from a trip to Las Vegas last week. That 3-hour time difference is no joke! I attended the 20 Books to 50K, which was an amazing experience. It’s a business… Read More
2022-11-12 21:39
The ever-changing weather of Washington, DC made it a challenging week for me, especially following a cold. The weekend was in the 80s and pretty warm. Monday through Wednesday was blustery… Read More
2022-11-06 23:16
This week, I didn’t get any writing done. I caught a cold over the weekend. The military side of me said, “Accomplish the mission,” but if I did that, I would be sick longe… Read More
2022-10-29 21:00
This week, I took a page from my post on goals and critical voice. After I reached 10K steps a day, critical voice started demanding I reach that every single day. I started ignoring it, but… Read More
2022-10-25 20:27
When I wrote a manuscript for a veteran’s anthology, I had an unexpected critical voice clash.
I’d been accepted for the book, which was published by a traditional publisher… Read More
2022-10-25 20:25
One of the common threads over the last few years is that workers aren’t taking leave. Some companies force employees to do it with a “use or lose” policy. I wouldn’t… Read More
2022-10-24 20:40
With Labor Day 2022, companies are trying asking employees to begin commuting back to the work site. According to Fortune, this is an ongoing cultural change, especially among senior managem… Read More
2022-10-24 20:40
The challenge for fiction writers is to get noticed in a cluttered digital world. Advice is everywhere. Most of it is given by people who do social media full time. It’s not much of a… Read More
2022-10-22 22:18
First up is a link to a Tik-Tok video that hits on intellectual property. A company offered an influencer essentially token pay to promote their product. Meanwhile, they can use what she cre… Read More
2022-10-16 12:56
This week was chaos. I’m not sure what it was. Maybe it was the weather. Everyone just started gulping down crazy pills like they were chocolate.
But it might have had a lot to do w… Read More
2022-10-15 12:00
We live in a goal-infested society. Books promise to supercharge your goals or how to focus on them. Apps track a variety of goals from steps to calories to sleep. I can buy planners with dr… Read More
2022-10-08 19:25
Yay! I have another installment. I’m writing out of order so I’ll return to another session on critical voice later.
Learning at the day job gets a bad rap. We’re all… Read More
2022-10-08 15:09
A bit of a soapbox here. Earlier this week, I discovered my landline wasn’t working. No dial tone. I knew what was wrong because it happens about once a year. A technician visiting one… Read More
2022-10-05 10:55
For October, I’m part of a big fantasy book giveaway. Check out this amazing list of books. There’s sure to be something you like.
I had a good laugh when I saw some of the co… Read More
2022-10-01 15:31
This week, nothing from the Time Management book. It become very apparent that I was at the finish line of Space Dutchman. I also wanted to have it done by September 30, which was Friday!… Read More
2022-09-25 14:09
An interesting discovery came out of last week’s Nostalgia Con. I attended a panel on Zane Grey, a writer from the early 1900s.
What I didn’t know: He didn’t write Weste… Read More
2022-09-24 12:53
Critical voice’s biggest skill is getting us to waste time doing tasks that look like writing but actually keep us from finishing the book. Obviously, this is deadly if you’re sh… Read More
2022-09-17 23:31
This was a strange week for my writing.
As I was writing Space Dutchman, I bumped into the climax. At which point, I knew I was going to have to do a full cycle over the entire story befo… Read More
2022-09-17 12:03
One of the frustrating points for me are discussions about overcoming critical voice don’t talk much about identifying how it shows up. Borrowing from the day job, one of the most impo… Read More
2022-09-11 13:36
I’m going to start with an oddity that veered straight into critical voice. Not mine. Someone else’s.
A writer on Twitter was likely looking for confirmation of his opinion/de… Read More
2022-09-10 19:39
I was inspired to add this chapter after reading Stephen Covey’s book and discovering one of the habits involved critical voice. He never used any of the traditional words like ‘… Read More
2022-09-03 17:57
For my first week, it was a success at getting the word count (and coconut ice cream!). This is the breakdown:
Creative Voice
Space Dutchman (novella)
Saturday – 808
Sunday… Read More
2022-09-03 12:56
Thanks for joining me this week for Part 12 of this series. I’ve been continually surprised at how much there actually is. Being a pantser, I’m following where my creative voice… Read More
2022-08-28 18:02
This experiment comes out of the writing of the time management book. I’ve both been surprised at what I already know and what I’m learning.
One of those revelations came whil… Read More
2022-08-27 18:39
Deadlines are something we get on both sides of our life. It might be a document due to another department for the day job or an anthology call for a story (of course, that’s one w… Read More
2022-08-20 12:53
Being a pantser, I sometimes write out of order. This topic appealed to me more this week. I actually popped into one of the old boards to poke around (like five minutes). Yeah. Glad I got o… Read More
2022-08-13 12:15
Companies were slowly moving towards telework for several years before the COVID shutdown forced them into it. Before then, there was a lot of resistance from managers and senior leaders… Read More
2022-08-06 20:06
Shadows of the paranormal are forced into the spotlight in this spooky collection of short stories from Writers of the Future Silver Honorable mention Linda Maye Adams.
“Giant Hunte… Read More
2022-08-06 12:45
Combining traditional time management with the day job and writing on the side is such an incredibly huge topic. Eight chapters and there’s still more to follow (I’m at 12K so fa… Read More
2022-07-30 12:41
When email first became available, it changed everything.
At first, it was pretty cool, especially for the geeks in the crowd. A fellow soldier and I jumped on email the day after Sta… Read More
2022-07-23 12:46
Coming up is Energy Management and Email and Energy Management and Scheduling. Energy Management has been a huge topic. Onward!
In fiction, we often say that a character must have agen… Read More
2022-07-21 08:54
5. Energy Management and the Creative Voice (Time Management)
4 Little Things Have a Huge Impact (Time Management)
3. Hidden Extra Work (Time Management)
2 The Lie Everyon… Read More
2022-07-16 12:44
This one turned into a very thorny chapter. A lot of stuff no one talks about and a lot hand wavy stuff when it comes to creatives. More will follow with a chapter on Energy Management and A… Read More
2022-07-15 19:32
I put together a collection of five of my Story Collector Sorceress short stories. These were part of the Great Challenge. If you like monsters and magic, these are fun stories!
Five exc… Read More
2022-07-09 13:59
Best-selling writer Dean Wesley Smith has a saying: “Don’t write sloppy.”
It’s such an important topic that he has an online clash about it, called #4 Pop-Up&hell&helli…Read More
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