Category Archives: writing

Process: The Short Story

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

I can only speak about how it works for me. I am impelled to start a story in several ways. The first way is that a story just springs to mind, something I have to write, or perhaps a character … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged anthologies, authors, creativity, getting started, ideas, process, productivity, publishing, resources, short stories, the writing life, writers, writing, writing the first draft | 8 Comments

Respect

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

I’ve played the guitar for decades. Well, sort of. I know lots of chords and chord progressions in several keys. But basically I’ve just plunked along, self taught, or with tips from people who were better than I. A few … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged authors, guitar, habits, music, the writing life, writers, writing | 2 Comments

The Words That Kill My Writing

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

Lots of words and phrases put my writing and my writing career in grave danger. Some come from inside myself. Well, actually most of them these days come from within myself, even if they originally came from outside sources. These … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged advice, authors, getting started, habits, performance, the writing life, time management, writers, writing | 6 Comments

Gosh, Thanks!

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

Last evening, I went to Vroman’s, my favorite independent bookstore, for the monthly Trivia contest. While there, I picked up the latest copy of Mystery Scene Magazine. I am a faithful reader. I love the articles on historic figures or events … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged anthologies, book reviews, encouragement, gratitude, mystery fiction, Mystery Scene Magazine, mystery stories, publishing, short stories, Sisters In Crime, success, the writing life, Vroman's Bookstore, writers, writing | 8 Comments

We Are Not Alone!

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

No I’m not referring to extraterrestrials. I’m referring to the hurdles we face in getting published, getting accepted, getting read. I recently saw an article in my local paper titled “The Odds of Getting Hired,” by Angela Copeland. It stated … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged advice, authors, job hunting, networking, publishing, submitting, the writing life, writers, writing | 3 Comments

Resources

Posted on July 18, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

We writers depend on resources. Market listings, critique groups, craft classes. But I, at least, end up being a resource for all my non-writing (or less experienced) friends. One acquaintance recently asked me how to register/protect a book title. I … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged authors, friends, friendship, publishing, resources, writers, writing | Leave a comment

Better. Just better.

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

Have you ever found one of your old, old stories or essays or poems, one of your earliest attempts to be a serious writer? Do you laugh gently to yourself about how bad it was? Me, too. In fact, I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged improvement, the writing life, writers, writing | 6 Comments

Just What I Need. . .

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

. . . more rabbit holes. Sheesh. Okay, we all know what happens when we sit down to write. We see some irresistible click bait. We think it will only be a few seconds of surfing. A half hour later, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, writing | Tagged book titles, forgotten books, Goodreads, Library of Congress, LibraryThing, lost books, reading, the writing life, writers, writing | 4 Comments

The Arts

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

One of the primary delights of living where I do in Southern California is that I am surrounded by a wealth of resources for joy. For me this means the pure joy of learning, of stretching my mind and especially … Continue reading →

Posted in publishing, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged books, Chelsea Hotel, Inside the Dream Palace, movies, Sherill Tippins, the arts, the writing life, writers, writing | 6 Comments

Send Is Not the End

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Lida Bushloper

We’ve all heard, and likely experienced, that getting started is the hard part. It’s certainly true for me. But now I find that ending is also hard. Last Saturday I hit “send” on a new story for a new (to … Continue reading →