More...?

Whata say, let's wrap this up? I could go on forever about writing. I love the 'science' of the craft. There is always something new to learn, to experiment with, to take where it has never been taken before - successfully.

The middle is the good stuff; the inside of a jelly donut, of a clam, of a perfectly baked Chicken Kiev (the buttery herb stuff). Take every opportunity to learn the tools of the craft so you reach for them by instinct. When you see a screw you know the tool needed is not a paint brush. You don't even give it a thought, you know. The same is true or can be true with the tools of this trade.

Look out for people who insist on formulas - a chapter is 20 pages long, a paragraph 3-6 sentences, remove all adverbs or adjectives (or both) or words that begin with 'q' (made up that last one). The only genre with a recognized formulamatic style (I know of) is romance writing.

Relax. Let your characters develop and show you who they are (just like your kids do - or pets). Don't sweat the small stuff, that is what rewrites and beta readers and line editors are for.

Be flexible. Trust your ear as Beethoven trusted his. Write your first draft without thought of editing or anything beyond writing from the beginning to the end. You can worry about everything else when the first draft is finished. Savor the moment, play it through.

Be a storyteller more than a writer. I believe in you. Don't work so hard to 'write' the story. Sit with your reader, share a cup of tea and tell them a story as you put it to paper. Make their presence real every time you write. You can do this, I know you can. Look at me, I'm dyslexic.