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Writer's Life

Who cares about thinking outside the box?

Nov 7th, 2009 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

It happens to me all of the time. I am writing and one of the people I show my first drafts to are reading and suggest that something isn’t clear, or could be different. While they sit there I start to rewrite a section that the reader had a concern with and the next thing I know, something completely different is flowing and I am typing like a word addict. Some say I get this odd look on my face, like I am on another planet, until I am finished.



Writers Offering Our Finest Contest for October 9

Oct 12th, 2009 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

Poetry
Zorlone – “The Battle” – A poem about Man vs. Nature as the he struggles to save himself from a flood.
Dragon Blogger – “My SonPoem dedicated to my son on his 6th Birthday.
Jennifer M Scott – “Dance with AutumnTook my poetry challenge and wrote 5 haikus about autumn.



Scene 41 – Intervention – Serial Suspense Screenplay

Sep 12th, 2009 | By PlotDog | Category: Guest Author Post, Intervention, Serialized Screenplay, Writer's Life

EXT. THE YARD PARTY — MOMENTS LATER

Jane passes Alex and gets her attention.

JANE
I just saw Dick, he seems pissed,
did something happen?

ALEX
Not that I saw.

Jane heads for the Senator with a mile wide smile.

The glass in Dick’s hand is sweating, as he spots Jane and
heads toward her and the Senator.



WOOF Contest for July 17

Jul 10th, 2009 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

REQUEST FOR ENTRIES for WOOF Contest July 17

Go to this page for the rules and information and here to submit a post.

If you blog about writing or post creative writing on your blog submit a recent post to this contest by NOON EST Friday 17 July 2009. Posts must have been published on your blog between June 26 and July 17, 2009. This keeps the links fresh!

We accept posts with original work – fiction, poetry, prose, graphic novels, web comics, information about the writing process and Photo’s and Artwork about WRITING.



We Are Back!

Jun 15th, 2009 | By webmistress | Category: Blogging, Writer's Life

Hi everyone!
Well, I’ve gone through the experience of transferring webhosting from one host to another.  I piloted on one site before I did PlotDog Press, because I wanted it to go smoothly.  Well the best laid plans …
They tell you that the DNS Servers can take upt to 72 hours to resolve. I followed all [...]



Migrating to New Webhost

Jun 10th, 2009 | By webmistress | Category: Blogging

Dear Readers,
We are migrating to a new webhost in the next few days so please be patient as server transfers and technical difficulties may end up interrupting the site.
See you soon!
PlotDog Press



CMF Ads New and Different

Jan 29th, 2009 | By webmistress | Category: Write to Blog

On January 23rd CMF Ads came out of Beta and became available to the general public. CMF, which stands for Changing Marketing Forever, was started by three dedicated bloggers who were frustrated with convoluted advertising programs. They strive to provide a customer friendly, transparent system for buying and selling 125 X 125 advertising space on your website.



“Big Bang” Part III

Jan 1st, 2009 | By webmistress | Category: Big Bang - Blog List, Blogging, Writer's Life

Big Bang List cont’d (again) 668-Shopping Fashion Style 669-Nonsense 670-Pinaywifespeaks 671-Pinaywifeatbp 672-Daily Tipper 673-I said what You Thought 674-Adventure Journey World 675-Candid Yammering 676-Prove Me Wrong



“Big Bang” Part II

Jan 1st, 2009 | By webmistress | Category: Big Bang - Blog List, Blogging, Writer's Life

Big Bang List cont’d

334-Work At Home Opportunities 335-VirusHead 336-Gracie de Guzman 337-Jollyjo 338-Jollyjo.tv 339-Ev Nucci’s THE CAREER STRATEGIST 340-Ev Nucci’s Resource Economics..Grease your brain 341-MARKETING MYSELF 342-NORTE 343-ACROSS THIS BRIDGE 344-STRUGGLING PARENTS 345-Read Between the Lines



“Big Bang” Part I

Jan 1st, 2009 | By webmistress | Category: Big Bang - Blog List, Blogging, Writer's Life

*Start Copy Here* You do not have to be tagged to play along. This game is simple and so are the rules.
1. Copy from *Start Copy Here* through *End Copy Here*
2. Add your site(s) to the list. Just be sure to post the “Big Bang” at each site you add.
3. Tag or don’t tag, [...]



Finals Finally Over! WOOF Begins Again Dec. 22

Dec 21st, 2008 | By webmistress | Category: Woof Contest, Woof Entry Requests, Write to Blog

Hi Everyone. Another round of apologies to everyone, especially PlotDog. I have to admit that this semester really kicked my a__! I am the technical person behind this blog and am basically PlotDog’s only conduit here. So I am sorry I let him down the last month.



CFM Direct – A Great Way to Advertise your Advertising!

Nov 15th, 2008 | By webmistress | Category: Blogging

CMF DIRECT CMF ADS is proud to announce an open beta for anyone interested in trying out it’s new service called CMF DIRECT. The beta test is open to any blog written in the English language. They inspect all blogs before activating their account, so no spam, porn, made for AdSense, pop-ups, or sites that I find annoying in any way please. To sign up, visit the CMF DIRECT website. But first, what exactly is CMF DIRECT?



Heading Into Dangerous Waters (Head hopping at it’s worst and best)

Aug 24th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Write to Blog, Writer's Life

Every writer seems to develop some individual quirks and talents that are almost so strong as to almost be a super power in their craft. New writers, like me occasionally take some time developing their superpowers in the best way, at least that is my perspective. (And there are many perspectives on PERSPECTIVE)

My use of “perspective”, is apparently close to but not spot on with a PhD in English level use of the term. The word doctors seem to interchange perspective in literary circles with the term Point of View or POV.



I Think I Write How I Think, I Think

Aug 19th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Write to Blog, Writer's Life

Sometimes, I Can’t Help Myself.  This is one of those times; Jenn at Before I am Famous asks, “How do you write?” 

Hmmmm, with a computer, one word at a time, with my fingers, with my eyes closed, not well, with a muse and of course with immense pleasure.

See, couldn’t help it, I hope at least one of those responses made you smile.  The truth of how I write is inarguably much less pretty than I think it is for most other people.



The AdSpace Contest

Aug 16th, 2008 | By webmistress | Category: Blogging, Writer's Life

I can’t wait to tell you about The AdSpace Contest I found!

The idea is simple and easy: Get as many entries as you can (very easy to do) over the next 30 days. The more entries you get, the better chance you have of winning! At the end of the 30 days, they announce the winner.

The prize?
A 125×125 pixel ad spot (above the fold) on at least TEN DIFFERENT BLOGS that will run for one month. That’s at least a $100 value!



Blood, Sweat and Just Get On With IT!

Aug 10th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Write to Blog, Writer's Life

There are lots of reasons to get stopped in your writing process.  Some are terrible, some are pretty good, and some are great reasons.  In my humble opinion, none of the reasons is good enough to keep a true writer down for more than a bit.  The amount of down time is directly correlated to the severity of the reason for stopping. 



The Non-Fictional Community on a Fiction Blog

Jul 25th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Blogging, Write to Blog, Writer's Life

(Blogging and the persons of otherwise good repute that seem to like PlotDog Press)

Now and again, I go back and re-evaluate my stories, my scripts and my reasons for all this writing.  For the last, oh say 10 years, the reasons have the pretty traditional.  Highest on the list was pretty much the same of most prose slingers; I write cause I have to. 



Stephen King’s Bones – II

Jul 21st, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Reviews, Writer's Tools Reviews

A two-part review of “Cell” and Stephen King’sOn Writing, a Memoir of the Craft

Part II (See Part I)

I picked up “On Writing” and looked for inspiration.  This was a re-read for me, when I first got the book, I kept thinking, “well this guy just doesn’t understand me as a writer (even though I wasn’t a writer yet, I was a wanna be).  Turns out, he understood me too well and I didn’t like it at the time.  Ah, the lessons we learn as we grow.



Stephen King’s Bones

Jul 20th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Reviews, Writer's Tools Reviews

A two-part review of “Cell” and Stephen King’sOn Writing, a Memoir of the Craft

Part I:

Forget the circle of life, how about the shotgun of shoulda.  Sometimes you have an inspiration on writing because a single little thing pops up on your radar and you see it and you are off and running.  Sometimes a friend says, “You know you should write about…” Sometimes you just have to get some words down and you hope the topic comes to you after you flounder a bit in the writing pool.  But then there are times when the universe gives you so many head slaps you just know you best get to that topic, even if it doesn’t make any sense as to why now.  This post is one of the latter.



Entrecard Just Changed Blogging

Jul 16th, 2008 | By webmistress | Category: Blogging, Writer's Life

Most Bloggers love comments, I mean, without comments you might as well be a static website.  Unfortunately, bloggers have alot of things they need to do to promote their blog, and commenting takes the most time.  What if you could comment, link those comments to you, your blog, your other comments on other blogs AND [...]



Teaching a New Dog New Tricks

Jul 13th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Blogging, Writer's Life

So, what do you think?  Do you like the new look?  Yes, we stumbled into new digs (hoping for new Diggs AND Stumbles) but also hoping that it is much easier to take a stroll through PlotDog’s cyber house.  So, let me give you some back story, take you on a bit of a tour, and show you future plans and see what differences it all makes in our blog ranking and reader’s happiness with the blog.



One Sentence Is All We Get

Jul 6th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

Ironic that it takes nearly thirteen hundred words to write about one great sentence.
I just learned about stumbling, something that until this point in time, I thought was only done after having imbibed too many large long island ice teas (I know they sound like an innocent concoction, what with tea in the name) but [...]



Do the Do on the ReDo

Jul 5th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Blogging, Write to Blog, Writer's Life

Some days you ask a question, expecting it to never be answered and the next day, BAM the answer hits you right between the eyes.  I have (along with my occasionally smart mouthed and very smart webgoddess/ procrastinating editor) been working this blog for about 2.5 months.  I make it really about 2 months of [...]



Voices In My Head

Jul 1st, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

The Risk of Reading While Writing

I wonder if it is any other writer but me.  What I read impacts what I write.  It seems like the voices in my head give just a bit of an accent to my writing.  It feels like spending a few months in England, the patterns, tones, turns of phrase [...]



Arte y Pico Award

Jul 1st, 2008 | By webmistress | Category: Blogging, Writer's Life

We were honored to get this award from Jennifer M Scott at "Before I Am Famous".  Thank you Jennifer, we truly enjoy your blog and enjoy your support of PlotDog Press’ WOOF Contest.  Based on the rules of this award (see below) we are asked to pass it on to 5 of our favorite blogs.  [...]



Pitching a Strikeout

May 29th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life, Writer's Tools Reviews

The Adventures of Writer Boy: A look at pitching a script at Screenwriting Expo
(First published in part on Blog Critic Magazine)
Writer Boy was battling his arch nemesis, Captain Disorder.  Captain Disorder was a short villain with a Napoleon complex.  Writer Boy simply refused to submit to Captain Disorder’s demand to be called by his full [...]



My Own Little Writer’s Universes

May 17th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Write to Blog, Writer's Life

I have been thinking a lot about being a writer and what “type” of writer I am lately.  What with the blog post on “It’s All Write to Blog” and working on my methods for writing and my bits of well intentioned suggestions on how to go about the craft, well, one’s mind does tend [...]



Doing It All Wrong

May 12th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Write to Blog, Writer's Life

(How I get killer visualizations and shorter more cohesive story lines)
As you might have guessed (if you have read any of my other posts) I just ain’t normal. Ask my Mom, Ex-wife, Professors, and most anyone who knows me, I definitely do things differently. On the upside to that, I [...]



The Adventures of Writer Boy – A Fresh Review of The Screenwriter’s Bible

May 8th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life, Writer's Tools Reviews

Review of The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier – 5 @@@@@ at-a-boys As first seen on BlogCritics Magazine. Writer Boy was having a less than thrilling realization. As an emerging writer and not a fella who felt he had yet conquered his chosen craft of being a wordsmith, he had been [...]



Guilty Pleasure

May 3rd, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Blogging, Write to Blog, Writer's Life

It’s dark out now, the sun is down, the house is quiet and I scope the hallway. I need to make sure everyone is settled. I close the drapes, turn on a favorite video, fire up the internet and shamefaced click into areas of the internet I never knew existed.



It’s All Write to Blog

May 1st, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Write to Blog, Writer's Life

The Battles We Face and Compromises We Make. I have been writing for a very long time; sometimes with more intensity than others, sometimes less. I have written non-fiction, Fiction, Screenplays, Short Stories, Legal Articles and more. Some have been printed, some sold, most ignored and some I remain hopeful on.



How to Do How-To Books

Apr 23rd, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life, Writer's Tools Reviews

I want to start with an admission; I am a recovering lawyer. No that doesn’t mean I don’t drink, hell, I am Irish, a Writer AND a Lawyer, I HAVE to drink. “Recovering Lawyer” means I used to practice law. Don’t hate me yet; I USED to practice law and I only [...]



Writing and the Missing Muse (Writing Just to Write)

Apr 21st, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

The pressure was on again, I thought is was about it being time to write… another blog post. Sure, I could procrastinate a bit if I wanted. I was three posts ahead, more than plenty of space for most writers, maybe too much more. I didn’t have time pressure. I didn’t have [...]



Bet You Can’t

Apr 19th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

How to make Readers throw your book, THAT’S A GOOD THING Everyone writes for different reasons, I have at least one reason for each voice in my head. (Come on writers, you know about the voices in your head.) Each author has a favorite reason to write. My favorite involves a [...]



TotallyWrite – Is It Totally Right?

Apr 18th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life, Writer's Tools Reviews

TotallyWrite Development Suite – LTW Productions Canada Inc. Review – @@@@ at-a-boys
It would be a better story if I could say I started writing on an old typewriter with a used ribbon and had to ink in letters that didn’t work on the keyboard, but this review is non-ficton, or at least faction.



EnTitled to Change

Apr 16th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

Writing teaches me.  Not the things you would imagine it teaches me.  Not better grammar or spelling, just ask my first draft readers.  Not about story structure, that happens mostly when I am putting together the puzzle that ends up being my final work.



Software Review of Visual Thesaurus by Thinkmap

Apr 5th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life, Writer's Tools Reviews

@@@ and a half at-a-boys
Theasauraus. A good one is harder to find than it is to even spell it
Word up! (Apologies to my urban buddies). Word (the Microsoft Office affliated product) sucks in the thesaurus department, they didn’t even bother to put some of Microsoft’s or Apple’s own terminology in there, but this isn’t [...]



Software Review of Save the Cat, Book and Software

Mar 30th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life, Writer's Tools Reviews

Save the Cat, Software and Book – @@@@@ at-a-boys

I am going to age myself here. I have been using computers since monitors had back ground screens that were black and letters that were either gold or green flashing dots. I remember when Word Perfect (it was NOT perfect but it did do words) had that really odd blue (Click on title to read entire post.)



Critical Bastards

Mar 25th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Write to Blog, Writer's Life

Who but a writer could do this thing; talk about an art and craft as if he or she had any knowledge whatsoever about that most mercurial of things, the using the written word to express and emote; who but critics, who are, in a Satanist sort of manner, writers in and of themselves.  It [...]



How I Came to Write Dead Play and Did NOT End Up a Serial Killer.

Mar 18th, 2008 | By PlotDog | Category: Writer's Life

I now fancy myself a writer. Not a wannabe, not a person who buys the “The Writer’s Market” each year with every intent to start that magazine article, screenplay or great American novel. When I was that person, I decided it wasn’t until I had some amount of work completed, that I could consider myself to be a writer. (Click on the title to read the entire post.)