Category Archives: Writing and Publishing

#NaNoWriMo 2021 – Day 1 of 30 – Chapter 1, 3536 words

The PolyBlog
November 2 2021

As I mentioned in a previous post (#MoreJoy – Day 31 of 31 – NaNoWriMo), I had a number of “works in progress” for consideration as my WIP this November. Ultimately, I chose to commit to working on my HR Guide. I want it fully written, revamped, edited, and published by January 1st, so blasting through now isn’t a bad idea. I have written the intro multiple times. 2014, a revision in 2017, an earlier revision of the current version in 2020. And yet, I wasn’t happy with the flow. It was solid, a good draft. Certainly addressed the content … Continue reading →

Since I blog about writing

The PolyBlog
September 27 2021

Way back in 2012, practically the dark ages of the internet, I bookmarked an article by author Veronica Sicoe called 13 Types of Writers’ Blogs – Pros and Cons. Fast forward 9 years, and it is still one of the better lists that I have seen of blogs / websites that authors use. Sooooo, considering I’m a wannabe writer, and I do have a website, what elements interest me? I blogged the other day about not wanting to monetize my site, but this isn’t quite the same thing. This is more about using my website to promote potential book sales. … Continue reading →

Articles I Like: Developing and Introducting the Sleuth in Your Mystery Novel (WD March/April 2015)

The PolyBlog
April 11 2019

Lots of articles exist on the ‘net about good ways to create a rich protagonist in a story, whether they be sleuth or otherwise. So why do I  like “Developing and Introducing The Sleuth in Your Mystery Novel” by Hallie Ephron (Writer’s Digest, March/April 2015, pp. 56-58)? In simplest explanation, it’s because the article divides the tips into two separate sections — developing the sleuth and introducing the sleuth. Developing the sleuth takes the reader through the main tips that are common to most articles, or at least the first three of five are common. First and foremost, they start … Continue reading →

Articles I Like: Straight Up Non-fiction with a Twist (WD March/April 2015)

The PolyBlog
April 10 2019

Most days, I aspire to calling myself a writer. In reality, I’m merely a blogger. Sure, I’ve written more than 1M words on my blog, and my daily “hit” count is rising with each extra bundle of content I provide, but I haven’t finished my non-fiction book about HR processes, and it is a very long time since I attempted anything resembling fiction. Some people maintain their dream through pre-writing activities. Maybe “reading about writing”, through books like Stephen King’s On Writing, or other writing guides by Lawrence Block or Sue Grafton, or how-to guides like Save the Cat!, or … Continue reading →