Tag Archives: writing

Book Review — Great New Writing Book

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

To read my review of The Plot Whisperer, click on the “Book Reviews” tab above. This is one of the best books on plot (and character) development I’ve read.

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False Start on NaNoWriMo 2011

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

For a few days in November, world-renowned sand sculptors worked their magic at the second annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master sand-sculpting competition in Sarasota, FL. Talk about attention to detail. The sculptors had to keep the sand just the … Continue reading →

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Just Another Puzzle

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

I enjoy puzzles. Crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, number puzzles, word puzzles like the one at the end of this posting. As a kid I loved a game now sold as Tangoes or Tangrams. It may have been called one of … Continue reading →

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Rediscovering the Joy of Reading

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Once I became entrenched in the business of textbook publishing, I hardly ever read for fun. The 60–80 hour workweeks left little time for food and laundry, let alone reading. When at work, most of the reading I did was nonfiction–either … Continue reading →

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Stonecoast Writers’ Conference, Part 2

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Everyone in our novels workshop commented by week’s end what a terrific group we had. This was my first writers’ conference, but I’ve read enough commentaries by published authors to surmise that this was an unusually focused and compatible set … Continue reading →

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Stonecoast Writers’ Conference, Part 1

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

The reason I’ve been silent this week is that I’m in the delightful throes of a writers’ conference organized by the University of Southern Maine. It’s taking place in a great old building called Stone House on a leg of … Continue reading →

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Progress on First Novel, Part 1

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

Have I mentioned that I’m writing a novel? I didn’t think so. Maybe I’ve harbored a fear that I might jinx the process if I say something. But I can’t think of a good reason not to let you, dear … Continue reading →

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Time Travel for the Imagination

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

The other day I walked over to the Post Office to mail a copy of my family biography/memoir The Cleveland Rutters to a widowed friend of my deceased parents. I haven’t seen this man for well over forty or even … Continue reading →

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Karen ‘Writes the Book’ on Bully-Proofing, Part 1

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

My friend Karen has always considered herself not to be a strong reader. This hasn’t kept her from getting a master’s degree in education, teaching reading and other subjects throughout her teaching career, and developing and now writing a book … Continue reading →

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First Lines

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Meredith Ann Rutter

One of the hardest and most fun things a writer has to do is decide what the first line will be in the book they’re writing. Sometimes that line appears fast, out of “nowhere.” Sometimes a line pops up and … Continue reading →

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