Category: Parables for Today

Get Ready for Sing We Now of Christmas

September 17th, 2012

It has been a truly difficult time, and I’ve got to say, I was down and out for a while. Without going into too many details, I was laid off from a beloved job and have had a terrible time looking for work. I became very sick and for a couple weeks, I was barely able to do anything, much less get any writing done.

I’m still out of a job, but at least I’m back on my feet, and using the extra time to write and work on great projects.

I’m happy to announce that “Sing We Now of Christmas: An Advent Anthology” is coming very soon. I’ve ordered the proof copy of it and it just needs my final review. It will be coming out in paperback and Amazon Kindle formats.

You can get a better idea about what you’ll find at the anthology’s website:

adventanthology.wordpress.com

We will be having a promotion soon to get everything kicked off that has to do with “The 12 Days of Christmas”. We’re also hoping to do another book next year that will benefit autism. Please send any stories you’d like to have considered for that my way.

This week, another anothology came out of which I am a part. I have two stories that are modern parables that I think you’ll like. Check out “Parables for Today”:

http://amzn.com/1599559226

I’ll going to try to be online more in the upcoming days. Thank you all for your friendship and support.
Avoiding Cliche Like the Plague

February 16th, 2012

I’m back! I apologize for the short hiatus. From choir tours, to auditions, to funerals and more, my life has been on overdrive lately.

There have been many personal triumphs lately. For starters, if you are living in Utah, be sure to come see me perform in “The Secret Garden” at the Hale Center Theater Orem beginning in April. You can get details at http://www.haletheater.org.

I’ll let you know of the others in my writing update. As far as writing goes, I’ve really hit my stride. Just take a look at the numbers:

Stats:

My word count for the week: 11,672

Running Total: 75,586

Writing Tip of the Week:

I’ll start sharing some tips from my presentation at UVU called “Avoiding Cliché Like the Plague”. (See picture at the beginning of the post) Here’s my first installment:

There are three kinds of cliché I try to strike out of my writing:

Cliché Phrases: “He’s as skinny as a pole.”

Cliché Plot Points: “The knight saves the damsel.”

Cliché Characters: “The elf has pointy ears, and an affinity for baking.”

All of them can helped by taking what you have and twisting it, adding a vivid detail or two. Instead you could have:

“He’s as skinny as a melting icicle.”

“The knight’s horse saves the knight.”

“The elf is a sculptor whose greatest dream is to fly.”

Much more interesting, huh?

Writing Update:

One of my short stories “Checkin’ It Twice” was accepted into an anthology this week. It will be out in time for the holiday season. I’ll post more when I have it.

Speaking of Christmas anthologies, I still have a few slots in my own Christmas anthology of stories based on Christmas carols. Please check it out under “current projects”.

I’m getting ready to submit a short story to David Farland’s “Nightingale” contest. It can only be 2,500 words, but I think it’s great. Here’s hoping.

I also had two short stories become finalists in the Parables for Today contest (parablesfortoday.com). I’m waiting to hear if I’ll get one of the cash prizes (1^st-5^th place), but I’ll be happy in any case, because they will be in that anthology as well.

Things also plug along well with the novels, with about 20,000 words in each.

“Canticle of Night” has reached over the halfway point and has been really fun. Please take a moment to support it by clicking the ‘like’ button on the page.

If you want to listen to or read “Canticle of Night”, please visit my page at http://www.bigworldnetwork.com/CanticleofNight.html

I’d love to know what you think about it!

Category: Parables for Today

Get Ready for Sing We Now of Christmas

Avoiding Cliche Like the Plague