"No" is not the final word
Maybe it’s our upbringing that makes the word No sound so final. About when we hit two years old, we started saying that word to our...
top of page
Search
LV Ditchkus
Oct 12 min read
Get all you can from a conference. You paid for it—in money and time
It’s okay to show up at a conference like a blank slate and drink it all in, but that’s not how I approach it. If I paid to attend, I...
19 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Sep 42 min read
Words of Wisdom from a Hero
A few months ago, I attended the Mountain Words Festival in Crested Butte, Colorado—a stunning mountain town with a world-class ski area...
18 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Sep 30, 20233 min read
“Not In My Profession” (NIMP) is the new NIMBY
While at this year’s RMFW conference in Denver, I picked up loads of writing craft tips, re-wrote the logline for the second book in my...
25 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Jun 26, 20232 min read
Have you milked a cow?
Don’t let opportunities escape—no matter how mundane or seemingly inane. We've just returned from a trip to visit dear friends in Ottawa,...
23 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Jan 13, 20232 min read
Who should tell your story?
The storyteller’s point of view (POV) creates a bond between your readers and the story. As an author, you should consider whether that...
22 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Sep 5, 20222 min read
Character Voice - Hear them before you write
Each principal character in your novel or short story should be unique, and this distinctiveness is more than how they look. Every...
19 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
May 17, 20222 min read
Plot holes – what are they, and how to find them
When there’s inconsistency in your story OR individuals act out of character, you’ve got a plot hole that needs to be fixed. Here’s a few...
20 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Jan 6, 20222 min read
Breaks: Help or Hindrance?
Some authors write every day. Others (like me) write a minimum number of hours per week. When I look back at my logged hours, I see very...
23 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Sep 23, 20212 min read
How to judge a book by its cover
So you’ve finished writing the best book on the planet. Now it’s time to design a cover that potential readers can’t resist. Besides the...
27 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Aug 24, 20213 min read
Exceptional novel versus a great one - how to pick the best?
As a judge for the upcoming Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC), my team and I will be reviewing about 60 books (out of...
59 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
May 3, 20211 min read
Gardening and writing
For those who love to plant flowers in the spring, there is nothing like cleaning out the beds and putting new plants into the soil. The...
14 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Mar 18, 20212 min read
Some middles have no problems
In our 40s, some people have a mid-life crisis and dwell on lost youth to the detriment of enjoying their remaining years. Those who...
20 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Jan 24, 20213 min read
Writing one piece at a time for a series
Many authors work for years on a novel they never finish. To them, the idea of writing a book series might seem unfathomable. But if...
28 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Dec 16, 20201 min read
Fugitive Ideas – Don’t let them get away
Ask any writer what one of their greatest frustrations are, and they will have a long list. However, that list will most likely...
15 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Oct 24, 20202 min read
Letting your baby rest
Did you know wild elephants average just 2 hours of sleep a night? Thankfully, humans typically get more sleep than that. But suffice it...
16 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Sep 1, 20201 min read
Critique Groups – Do you need to join one?
Assume you’ve written the perfect novel, and you’d like to start looking for an agent or consider self-publishing. How do you know your...
19 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Jul 28, 20202 min read
Why contribute to an anthology?
First off, what is an anthology? An anthology is a published collection of short stories or poems. It can be written by different authors...
16 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
Jun 24, 20202 min read
Is writing a novel in a month for everyone?
If you’ve never heard of NaNoWriMo (https://nanowrimo.org), you might be amazed or in awe of what it does. This organization supports the...
25 views0 comments
LV Ditchkus
May 5, 20201 min read
Is Bigfoot the next big thing?
Check out the Speculative Fiction Writers Group post from L.V. Ditchkus: https://specficwriters.com/is-sasquatch-the-next-big-thing/
14 views0 comments
bottom of page