Guest Post

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Sunday, October 18, 2020

Welcome fall and first page turn-offs

cj Sez: Fall—my favorite season—when cooler, shorter days inspire flowers and trees to outdo themselves in a kaleidoscope of color.

   My photographer son took his camera gear in search of fall color this week. The picture of aspens above is one he took in Colorado a few years ago. He used a computer technique on the photo to create the look of watercolor art.

  On the home front, Mobile doesn’t have a lot of leaf-peeper red, orange, and gold on deciduous trees—but I have my camellias in many colors. I especially love the fuchsia blooms in front of the house.

  What fall doesn’t do, though, is inspire me to sit my butt in a chair behind a computer and write when I could be outside. What’s your favorite season where you live?

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   I’ve been re-reading some of my old “how-to” files and came across this reminder as I edit my current WIP:

Writing miscues that can cause an agent to stop reading your manuscript:

*  The story’s opening paragraphs fail to establish where the story is taking place, the time, and the setting.

*  The beginning is too slow. Too many details, too much description, too much backstory, or too many characters. The opening paragraphs lack action or a hook to entice the readers to continue to read.

*  The writer didn’t establish a clear point of view.

*  Mechanical errors can earn a speedy rejection. Mechanical errors are the typos, punctuation errors (a lot of them involving dialogue), and unclear syntax that can destroy a good story.   

  What agents or publishers see in the first few paragraphs of a manuscript is what they expect to see throughout each chapter and scene, and they have to reason to continue to read.

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Buy Now
   The book signing event at The Haunted Bookshop for HALLOWEEN PIECES was a good time.
   Masks, social distancing, candy, wine, and authors signing books at the entrance to The Haunted Bookshop in downtown Mobile on ArtWalk night. What a treat it was to interact with real people, mask-to-mask. 
The bookshop had a live video feed to Facebook. And surprise, surprise: It was chilly enough to wear a coat.

   The anthology is available on Amazon (free on Kindle Unlimited), and signed copies are available from The Haunted Bookshop (see where to order below).

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 Coming soon . . .

   My short story, “The Substitute,” in Bienvenue Press’s annual charity anthology, HOMEROOM HEROES.


  “The Substitute” is about an FBI agent working undercover as a substitute adapted physical education teacher for physically and mentally challenged students while he investigates Federal fraud and tax evasion. He is, at the same time, making a move on the beautiful, first-grade teacher assigned to help him with his students.  (p.s. My daughter-in-law is an adapted PE teacher and my inspiration for the story. 

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PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE

  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

P.S.  TO ORDER my autographed books or any book of your choice on-line from my favorite indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

  The store has re-opened to limited hours, so you can stop and shop, too.

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