One Man Dead Another Injured

            Not a great title for a writing blog but what do you think when you read it? How sad. What happened? But if you stop and really think about it you will speculate on this man's life. Who did this man leave behind to mourn his lost? A wife, children, maybe parents or siblings? So back to the real question, why did I start this way? Simple. This was the headline that reported the lost of a friend. A brother, son, husband and father has been reclaimed by heaven. Much like the victims of September 11th he probably kissed his wife and two young boys goodbye and went to work. Just another day. No one suspected that he wouldn't come home. He was killed in the line of duty. Will people see him as a hero? He only mined coal. That is not a hero's job. Or is it? Is the light on above you? What is powering the device on which you are reading this? So my opinion is he was a hero and should live in our heart as such.

            Now if you're reading this for writing information there are several things you could take away but I'll give you this one. Now that I've told you a little about the man from the headline you may feel sorrow or sympathy at a greater level. Did you think of someone you lost? If so, did that ache renew in your heart. I'm sorry for causing you pain, wait, no I'm not. Isn't that why we read? To allow us to feel emotions, escape our reality for someone else's if only for a while. As a writer you need your readers to like your character enough to sympathize with him or her.

            With that I dedicate this post to the memory of Elam Jones. May his dear sweet family know that they are not alone in mourning his loss. Who will join me?

Can editing be fun?

Another week and I've almost finished editing one of the books I've written. It is a just for fun about a student developing a crush on a substitute teacher. Don't worry, the teacher resists his advances. When I first started writing I didn't think editing could be any fun but as I edit this book it's like Christmas. Each night brings a little surprise. I wrote this story three years ago and some of the finer points of plot have been forgotten, so it's like a new story. Now that I've been writing for a few more years I also see an increase in my skill. So can editing be fun? Can rereading a book be enjoyable? What do you think? How often do you reread?

Must I blog?

Spending a day at a writing conference can be both invigorating and frustrating. A big thank you to Shirley Bahlmann and all the authors who taught at WRITE HERE IN EPHRAIM. Everyone says that a blog is a must. I don't take time to "follow" a blog, meaning to read it everyday/week. I look up information and have found some VERY helpful blogs created by writers, agents, publishers, etc. but to read one EVERY day seems unrealic. Maybe once a week but I've never done it.
So I pose to you a this question. Did you read this? Do you read blogs? How often, and what type?  Please help out a curious author.
Happy reading!