http://patmillerbooks.com/blog pat miller's meeting place for writers, librarians, and lovers of books Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:30:58 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Roy Clark was talking to all writers in Writing Tools when he mentioned the problems with too many -ings, so I don't think he had a personal agenda specifically for us Southern writers. It seems to be part of our speech pattern to include lots of -ings, even in our ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/chapter-6-fixing-those-ings.htm In this chapter, Roy Clark, the author of Writing Tools, uses the last word in the last sentence in the last paragraph to make his point. This is the word position that he argues is the most powerful in a piece. In this essay about adverbs, Clark ends with "...use them sparingly" ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/chapter-5-watch-those-adverbs.htm Chapter 3 - Active verbs power the narrative, describe internal thought in an immediate way, and add energy to your writing. I examined an article I wrote to persuade school librarians to make their libraries more boy-friendly. In a single paragraph, I counted 14 active verbs and 2 passive verbs. ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/chapter-3-and-4-be-active-in-your-verb-choice.htm At first I found this tool contradictory after the first chapter that preached starting with strong verbs and nouns and branching the weaker to the right. This next chapter talks about putting your strongest words at the end of the sentence, then at the beginning, and hide your weaker stuff in ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/chapter-2-put-your-strength-at-the-beginning-and-the-end.htm Yes, we are having a book study of the Writing Tools book. We are on chapter 2 and you are invited to publish your take on the chapter and your response in the writing exercises. I have been secluded, pressing to finish the eighth book in my professional series. Five ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/youve-come-to-the-write-place-2.htm Beginning on February 15, members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators-Houston will join me in a book study. We plan to use Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer (Roy Clark, Little Brown, 2006). Each of the 50 short chapters ends with some brief writing exercises. To ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/get-ready-get-set.htm    Rejection slips from publishers are a red badge of courage. Writers can often tell you how exactly how many each project has garnered in the same way daredevils know how many stitches each event cost them. Behind the numbers, for both groups, is a lot of pain. But they are as integral to ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/medicinal-chocolate.htm    When we lived in Ohio and I attended a Catholic school with many other Irish-Americans, March 17 was a great celebration with parades and parties. Now I live in Gulf coast Texas, and the day is less celebrated.    However, it seems Nature is having a private celebration this morning, with a temperature ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/happy-st-patricks-day-to-you.htm I was a guest speaker at the Tennessee Association of School Librarians this past Friday and Saturday and now I'm ruined. Ruined because this will be the conference that I measure all others against. Partly because it was held in lovely Chattanooga with enchanting fall colors I don't see in Houston. Partly ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/the-bars-been-raised.htm A few days ago, I spent a beautiful Saturday indoors sitting in the hard chairs of a 25-year old middle school auditorium, learning about What's New in Children's Literature from Dr. Peggy Sharp. Peg is the consummate professional speaker, delivering the entire workshop, (which she already seems to have memorized), ... http://patmillerbooks.com/blog/so-many-books-so-little-time.htm