A few weeks ago I read and reviewed Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s thesauruses on negative traits, positive traits, and emotions.

Then my obsession continued to grow. So I bought their two-part thesaurus on rural and urban settings.

Setting has always been something I’ve struggled with – or even forgotten – to include.

Now each of these books contain a long list of potential settings from a country road to the back of a police car, and each lists sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures that might be encountered.

They also include possible sources of conflict and people commonly found in each location Add a few tips from the authors and an example – you’ve got everything you need to write a strong setting for each scene.

But here’s the question: Does “where” really matter?

Keep reading for the answer…

HINT: I’t’s yes.

As a Vehicle for Conflict

“Conflict needs…

After playing around on the interwebz this week I discovered a theme emerge among my writerly buds…lots of angst over the dreaded synopsis. Now, I’m not saying writing a synopsis is a piece of cake – far from it. But, there is a way to do it that s a little less painful.

The editors, agents and published authors I’ve spoken with have all said that shorter is better when it comes to the synopsis.

WHAT? SHORTER…It’s hard enough cramming the storyline of a 70 – 80K novel into a few pages single spaced. Now I need to cram it into 500 words or so. CRAZY!

True…but totally doable too.

That is, once you really KNOW the arc of your story.

That’s right, a synopsis can be an easy endeavor, relatively speaking, if you have taken the time to plot out your story arc.

For me, the easy way to…

On this sunny but cold Saturday morning (27th March 2021), I walked from my home up to Winshill to have a look around the Coltman VC Peace Wood, just off Mill Hill Lane. I have been up Mill Hill Lane many times whilst out walking, but never ventured into the Peace Wood until now.

William Harold Coltman, VC, DCM & Bar, MM & Bar was born in the village of Rangemore near Burton on Trent in November 1891. A Christian, he worked as a market gardener in Burton and taught at the Sunday School in Winshill. In January 1915, he joined up to serve in the British Army in the First World War. Coltman served in The North Staffordshire Regiment as a stretcher bearer, refusing to bear arms because of his Christian faith.

In October 1918, he had heard that wounded soldiers near Sequehart in France had been left behind…

Before we start this, I’m not one to care for spoilers. On the contrary, I try to gather as much info as I can before jumping into something, be it a book, a movie, a project or life in general –yes, I am a real control freak, I know–, so I don’t mind reading pieces of plot here and there in a review. Anyway, since I realize many people don’t like knowing in advance what happens, I try to hide spoilers as much as I can. Today, as the title suggest, I’m writing about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, written by V.E. Schwab. As always, spoilers will be hidden behind a wall of white text.

Adeline LaRue is born in a small village in France at the end of the seventeenth century, where she grows up feeling that she’s meant for more than living dying and being…