Just Ginger

I’m frequently asked how long it takes me to write a book and I’m never sure how to answer because I’m not sure what the person is asking. Do they mean the actual physical act of writing? Or do they mean everything involved from conception to finished product? Conception to finished product covers a lot of time because the imagination is triggered in countless ways.   What kind of things trigger a writer’s imagination? They can include song lyrics, historical events, a sentence in a book or magazine, a casual conversation, a new recipe or even a dream. Once an idea takes hold, I start a file. This is normally a physical file, but I also use computer files. I come up with a working title and when I run across photos, newspaper articles, reference books, possible character names, research about possible jobs for a character or snippets of information about the time period, I put them in the file.   During this phase, I collect possibilities that may be used to tell that story...

I think we can agree that getting the right beginning to a story sometimes rates up there with going to the dentist. It’s something we know we need to do, but we dread getting it done.  We worry that if we can’t find a great beginning for our story, it's doomed. So we flail around trying to come up with the right beginning and presto! bingo! Suddenly we realize we not only don’t have a great beginning, we don’t have a great middle, or a great ending. Let’s stop and take a deep breath. While a great beginning is important, the fun part of writing is that creating the perfect beginning to your story doesn’t have to come first. You just need to find it before you write The End. Sometimes it appears in your head like a gift from the gods and sometimes you have to dig and dig and dig to find it. This is why it’s important not to get hung up on finding the “perfect beginning” before you write anything else. When I was writing Lady Runway ( http://www.gingerhanson....

My Dear, I Don't Give A Damn: The Power of Dialogue If you have a hankering to learn more about writing, don't miss the 2012 Muse Online Writers Conference. Especially don't miss my workshop October 8 - 14, 2012 Geared for the new and intermediate writer, My Dear, I Don’t Give A Damn: The Power of Dialogue will focus on ways to incorporate dialogue into scenes to make your story sparkle. Using examples from books and movies, we’ll explore the many purposes of dialogue in storytelling. Check it out at    Muse Online Writers Conference There's only a week left of the Twilight Times Books contest. Lots of neat prizes are being offered. Get the details at  http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/contest2012.html

Good news! The   treasure hunt contest involving jewels and my book, Lady Runaway has begun! D on't miss out on the chance to win some neat prizes at the Twilight Times Books Treasure Hunt! (September 1 - 30, 2012) For details visit: http://twilighttimesbooks.com/contest2012.html

Isn't this a lovely diamond? Why is it here? Well, there's going to be great treasure hunt contest involving jewels and my book Lady Runaway at Twilight Times Books in the fall. There'll be lots of neat prizes so be sure and check back for more details to come as they are finalized!