Review of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline James Halliday, the genius who created OASIS, the virtual reality that occupies the lives of most people in the dreary world of 2044, has just died. He left his fortune to whoever can follow his clues through his virtual world and find “the egg.”Continue reading “Friday Book Review”
Author Archives: headywriting19
The Afghan Women’s Writing Project
As a writer, I love to encourage other people to write. I believe that everyone can and should express themselves in writing, even if they are never formally published. Everyone has a voice, and that voice deserves to be heard. In some ways, the voices that most deserve to be heard are those of peopleContinue reading “The Afghan Women’s Writing Project”
A Best Book of 2011
One of the best mystery novels I read this year. This reviews appeared in Suspense Magazine. If Thy Right Hand by Robin Lamont Ilene Hart is the Chief of Special Prosecutions in the DA’s office, specializing in the prosecution of pedophiles. When a teenage boy she has recently prosecuted is found shot toContinue reading “A Best Book of 2011”
A Beautiful Sight — A Child Reading a Book
As a teacher and a life-long reader, I have come up with ten ways to encourage your child to enjoy reading. Even if you are not a habitual reader yourself — Are you saying you don’t have time? — these are simple ways to instill the habit of reading in your child. She will doContinue reading “A Beautiful Sight — A Child Reading a Book”
One Task at a Time vs. Multi-Tasking
I have read a number of articles that say the multi-tasking that most of us do nowadays, whether we are writers or not, is really counterproductive. We may think we are balancing a number of task at once, but we really aren’t. What we are really doing is hopping quickly from one task to another,Continue reading “One Task at a Time vs. Multi-Tasking”
Writing Through a Headache
I have had a sinus headache since about 3 a.m. It’s one of those headaches that hangs around in my forehead and nose and never quite goes away until it is good and ready. I am guessing it will be sometime this afternoon. But I don’t want to waste a morning when I want toContinue reading “Writing Through a Headache”
Writing Negative Book Reviews
I write book reviews for a magazine, and of the twenty-five or so novels I have reviewed in the past year, most have been well-crafted, with appealing characters and story lines that kept me turning the pages until the end. Even if the book was not one I would have picked up by my ownContinue reading “Writing Negative Book Reviews”
Tips to Make Characters Come Alive
Try these techniques to bring life to your characters, and find out who they really are. 1. Make a list of adjectives that describe your character. Use a thesaurus for words you may not think of off the top of your head. 2. Spend two hours “being” your character. Do whatever you are doing normally,Continue reading “Tips to Make Characters Come Alive”
Do a Small Thing Each Day
Few of us have the luxury of being able to write for long, productive, uninterrupted stretches each day. And when life gets busy, it can be difficult to hold on to the belief that “yes, I am a writer.”I try to do some small thing each day, whether it is rereading and revising a chapter,Continue reading “Do a Small Thing Each Day”
Can You Go Home Again?
I am planning a trip this summer to the small town in southern Illinois where I grew up. I didn’t even live in the town; I lived on a farm seven miles outside of the county seat, a town of 3,000 people, not close to anything. Most of my friends from childhood still live inContinue reading “Can You Go Home Again?”