A Touch of Flavor

     I grew up on coffee. My dad kept a thermos in the car and was happy to share. It wasn't just any coffee. It was New Orleans coffee with chicory. No other coffee tastes quite like it. However, like other coffee, it is bitter if left black and unsweetened. The amount of sweetener is key. Too little and the coffee will still be bitter. Too much and it starts to taste like syrup.

     Why am I talking about coffee on a blog about writing? I'm glad you asked. A story has a similar problem. Left alone, a story is in danger of being too bland. However, if you spice it up too much, it loses believability.

     Up to now, I've stuck to the script on the novel I'm writing. I've decided it's time to add a little something. Nothing radical. Just a slight change in personality. I got the idea from a study a friend of mine has been making on heroes. Thanks Marji.

Getting Feet Wet

     My first serious attempt at getting published will be a novelette. From what I've been told, it's the hardest part. Once you get your work out there the next attempt should be a little easier. If I get published the second time, then I can stop calling them attempts. Either way, I plan on writing as if I will succeed (even though I sound pessimistic in this post.)

     I started out writing a novel that I was sure would be a bestseller. I'm halfway done with the story, but I've already decided to use it like a scrap yard. There are interesting characters that I can pull from it. There are a few ideas that will work in the new stuff I'm writing. The most important lesson I've learned is to stay in my genre. I am a scifi/fantasy writer. My imagination will stand for nothing less. Even the mystery I was writing had an element that was unusual for the real world. My only test is to make sure my resolutions are believable within the world I've created. Are there any writers who have some thoughts on this?