Audrey Driscoll's Blog

Final week (plus one day) and wrap-up. The month is finished, but the writing is just getting started. There’s a long way to go. November 23rd to 30th:Work #1: 9 pages, 4,000 words.Work #2: 1 page, 500 words.Total for the week: 10 pages, 4,500 words. Totals for the month:Work #1: 14,500 words, consisting of approximately […]

End of week 3. Writing time is now a habit, but has not become a compelling priority. Work #1: 6 pages, 3,000 words.Work #2: 1.5 pages, 750 words.Total: 3,750 raw words. This week’s thought: If I have no idea what happens next, or how a novel will end, does that mean readers won’t either? Will […]

End of Week 2. The writing is rolling along, with a few bumps and pauses. I have put in at least the minimal time at the desk every day. Work #1: 7 pages, estimated 3-3.5K words. I have some doubts about whether all these scenes will be useful, so I’ve written alternates and notes with […]

Writing has commenced! Starting a new work always feels like a leap over an abyss (hence the featured image). After eight days, here is what I have done: This page-a-day, every day method has to be a priority until it becomes a habit, sort of like an exercise program. So far (and yes, I know […]

And 139th too! Herbert West, the fictional mad scientist created by H.P. Lovecraft and reanimated by me, turns twenty-five today. I began writing The Friendship of Mortals on November 7th, 2000 and published it in 2010, so that book turned fifteen in May this year. More in this post from 2010: I’ll bet most people […]

November is the month for writing. Right at the start I will say I never participated in NaNoWriMo, back when it was a thing. BUT, in 2000, I did start writing my first novel (The Friendship of Mortals) in November. Ever since then, I have thought of it as the ideal month to start a […]

In the past few weeks, I have taken up Amazon’s offer to make my books available in audio format using “Virtual Voices” (meaning AI). She Who Comes Forth and She Who Returns are now available. One thing, though: these audiobooks are still in beta at Amazon KDP and therefore are available only in the US. […]

This summer produced a good crop of Black Hungarian peppers. They start out green, then turn black, and finally a brilliant red. Mild to medium hotness, and usable the same way as jalapeños. They need enough warm, sunny days for the plants to grow to full size (1-2 feet), bloom (little purple flowers), set peppers […]

Here is a thought-provoking post from indie author C Litka. I’m going to say it up front. Publishing is a business. A very risky business. So if you’re not certain that the revenue from the book you’re publishing is likely to pay for a developmental editor, you should not hire one. A developmental editor’s value, at least […]

Book Description For over 100 years, no one wanted to be sent to the Sheldon Poor Farm. By 1968, no one wanted to leave. Amid the social turmoil of 1968, the last poor farm in Vermont is slated for closure. By the end of the year, the twelve destitute residents remaining will be dispatched to […]