In Third Grade….
In third grade, in the middle of music class, Ms. Traylor asked me to sing, then play the recorder. Amid the din of classmates warming up...
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I have interests in writing, self-publishing, and investing.
See the blog below. Subscribe and I'll email you a password to download the beginning of Insecticide (PDF).
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venturesverite
- Mar 17
- 6 min
Writing Sanctuary vs. Reality...
Settling down in the writing sanctuary where words and ideas flow like... hold on, the cat found—and ate—a moth. Now, the cat is...
7 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Mar 14
- 1 min
A Second Draft that Feels like a First
I've been slogging through a second draft of Insecticide Two and feeling unenthusiastic. I added a second character's point of view to...
3 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Mar 10
- 11 min
Insecticide Excerpt:
Diana watched the body floating in the ocean. Lifeless current lifted the limp body up one wave, then buried it under the next. Diana...
3 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Mar 8
- 6 min
Insecticide Excerpt:
Brandon could see clearly when he was four years old, with glasses. He remembered his fourth birthday. So, if was he was still a child,...
2 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Feb 24
- 2 min
Can I (you) be a writer? And, how to be a writer.
I quit my job in 2016. After fifteen years, I’d had enough corporate life. But, I also felt if I stayed on the job longer, I’d regret it,...
6 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Feb 15
- 1 min
Being a Writer...
Unfortunately it includes marketing. Our latest feeble attempts follow, as does how we became a writer. https://www.veriteventures.com/po...
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venturesverite
- Feb 8
- 1 min
Insecticide 2: Starting the Second Draft
I started the second draft of Insecticide Two. It feels like a process of zooming in. I started with the wide view. That required...
16 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Feb 1
- 2 min
Elements of a Novel's Second Draft: Freeing the Red Pen
I'm starting the second draft of Insecticide 2 and thinking about what it needs to include. One important element of a second draft is...
5 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Jan 24
- 1 min
Insecticide 2: First Draft is Done, Time to... Conceptualize
Ninety six hours into Insecticide 2 I finished the first draft. It took me 42 hours to outline, 54 hours to write...
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venturesverite
- Jan 17
- 1 min
Elements of Character Development
Characters drive a novel. Character development may be the most important aspect of crafting a novel. For me, it's generally the most...
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venturesverite
- Jan 4
- 1 min
Insecticide Two Update: It’s a Crime Scene…
I’m halfway through the first draft of Insecticide Two and entering a distinct, third emotional stage. First, was excitement. I had...
2 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Dec 29, 2022
- 1 min
Standing Out in a Crowd
When self-publishing—if you market your own work—you are basically starting a marketing business. Today, marketing seems focused on...
2 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Dec 14, 2022
- 7 min
Why I Write Slowly
Many writers give themselves daily or weekly wordcount or page goals. For me, it’s about time. I want to hit minimum time targets....
6 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Dec 7, 2022
- 2 min
Insecticide Two Update: Back to Routine
I’m up every morning at the same time. I feed the animals (two cats and a dog), take a shower, then I’m at my desk. Over the course of a...
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venturesverite
- Dec 1, 2022
- 2 min
How to Find Comfort with Writing Weaknesses
I’ve started writing Insecticide Two. I put sixty hours into the outline, felt good about the path forward, and excited to write a...
5 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Oct 2, 2022
- 4 min
How I Deal with Writer’s Block
Writer’s block can feel like a vise, slowly squeezing every word and creative thought out of you, until all that’s left in the world are...
3 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Sep 25, 2022
- 1 min
Insecticide 2 Update: Singing in the Shower
I completed an outline version this week. I read the outline aloud after finishing to see how it sounded, and how quickly and simply it...
2 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Sep 18, 2022
- 2 min
Insecticide 2 Update: Progress?
My outline for Insecticide 2 is growing—up to ten pages—but so is my To Do list. Bullet items seem to be spawning bullet items at this...
9 views0 comments
venturesverite
- Sep 10, 2022
- 2 min
Insecticide 2 Update: Is the Final Cumulative?
When I was in grad school, every semester at least one professor would read the syllabus aloud during the first class—grad school...
7 views0 comments
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