cj Sez: I found a path into my office closet last week to
conduct a long over-due decluttering and found a 900-word flash fiction story
called “The Family on Bushnell Creek” that could benefit from a bit of editing.
As is my habit whatever I read, I began picking out a few
things I would edit. Basically I liked the story line, and the nits I picked
out were minor…things like two spaces after a period. Imagine my surprise when
I realized the story was one I had written six or seven years ago.
I think I’m going to clean up the manuscript, which will also add a few
words, and file it away for inclusion in a future anthology. (The rest of the closet clean-up will have to wait.)
My suggestion to you is to go back through your old manuscripts.
Maybe you’ll find a gem or three you can resurrect.
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From Owl
Hollow Press . . . “We're incredibly delighted to announce THE EXISTENCE OF
BEA PEARL, a YA Contemporary Southern Mystery by the amazing Candice
Marley Conner Author, coming next fall (2020)! Its atmospheric swampy
perfection w/ edge-of-your-seat mystery will make you swoon!”
“Swampy perfection—I
adore that. Y’all, I’m beside myself that THE EXISTENCE OF BEA PEARL will be
out into the world! It’s my love letter to the swamps of my childhood and
stories whispered around campfires crackling next to muddy rivers. Thank you,
Owl Hollow Press for believing in Bea Pearl’s existence.”
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cj’s Public Service Announcements:
Daylight Saving Time ends at 1 a.m. local time on Sunday
morning, November 3, 2019, in most areas of the U.S., so we'll “fall back” and
return to Standard time. Ergo: If you’re living on DST, try to remember to set your
timepieces back one hour on Saturday night.
NANOWRIMO anyone? Time to prepare your writing place and allocate your times.
///
Writing the right word . . . (I can’t give proper attribution for the
following because I don’t remember where I picked up these helpful tidbits, but
it was probably on Facebook.)
That or which? Do you have trouble deciding which to use? Here’s
a rule:
If the sentence doesn’t need the clause that the word in
question is connecting, use which. If it does, use that…for example:
The Haunted Bookshop, which has one store, is located in downtown
Mobile.
The Haunted Bookshop that has one store is located in downtown Mobile.
A coffin and a casket? The difference is basically one of
design. Coffins have six sides and are tapered at the head and foot and are
wide at the shoulders (think of the rough, pine coffins you see in western
movies). Caskets are rectangular in shape and are usually made of more
expensive woods and trims.
cj’s helpful hints for Holiday Gift Giving List…
If you, like me, get paid once a month, there are only two more
paychecks until time for holiday gift giving. I always look for the bargain
that offers more bang for my bucks, and that’s Anthologies! More than one story
in a single tome, offering hours of enjoyment at one low price.
In addition to getting wonderful stories, the best part about
the two listed here is that part of the proceeds will go to benefit worthwhile
charities. (P.S. I have a story in each anthology.)
HOMETOWN HEROES (benefits the
Cajun Navy) is available now. (A click on the cover will take you right to Amazon.)
FINALLY HOME is set to launch December 10 (benefits animal
rescue groups).
///
That’s it for this week’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping
on, and I’ll try to do the same. See you next week?
cj
TO ORDER an autographed copy of CHOOSING CARTER, DEADLY
STAR, HOMETOWN HEROES, and/or THE POSSE, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: The Haunted Bookshop Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA
Award-winning author in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy
to ship you the book(s) of your choice.
