posted Requiem for Clue- A Very Old Dog: 1996-2009. How quiet the house is today.http://ping.fm/r75hB

If you write or edit, you know that pronunciation can be a touchy subject. Is elitism or precision the cause? http://ping.fm/FW4ik

The Writers-Editors Twibe is growing! We'd love to have you join at http://ping.fm/ct9wK Twibe tweets coming soon!

Just started a Twibe. Visit http://ping.fm/Hdso4 to join. If you write or edit professionally, this is your group!

Why learn? "Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." (Robert Frost)

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. (From a fortune cookie.)

The Jefferson Muzzles have been awarded for violations of free expression. Read them and weep! http://ping.fm/dEKgN

My goal for today: Do things that matter; things that will make a difference in our daily life; things that fit long-term goals. Carpe diem!

I'm at a business retreat with limited Internet, but just posted 2 new $75-95K job opportunities in member area of www.NAIWE.com. Good luck!

Writing a timed essay for the SAT? Here's my most recent article: http://ping.fm/WgBxm Leave a comment!

Join the interesting discussion on positioning at the Independent Publishers group: http://ping.fm/hbbLO

Reminder: $20 dues discount for National Asso. of Independent Writers and Editors expires by morning. New members welcome! http://naiwe.com

"Our words should aim not to please, but to help." Seneca - www.WordsMatterWeek.com dues discount ends Sunday night. Welcome to new members!

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is...the difference between lightning bug and lightning. Twain www.naiwe.com

Join us at www.WordsMatterWeek.com as we interview proofreader/copyeditor Susan Sheppard of Words Right. Now!

"Uncommon things must be said in common words, if you would have them to be received in less than a century." CP1847 www.WordsMatterWeek.com

Have you missed any of the Words Matter Week teleseminars? You can hear them all (unedited) at www.WordsMatterWeek.com. Back w/more Friday!

Celebrating Words Matter Week w/National Grammar Day creator Martha Brockenbrough- 3:30 pm EST- www.WordsMatterWeek.com- 724-444-7444-call#39841

Create a Memorable Minor Character

In Miss Gazillions by Richard Weber (St. Martin's Press, 2005), the author offers the following description of a minor character:

"...a slight, elderly Alpine pirate in Saville Row worsted."

"His voice--as he welcomed us into his office salon, with its grand view over the Musee des Beaux Arts--was, at first, teacup-timid with deference and age, but his mahogany eyes had the 20/20 iciness of a Gestapo interrogator."

"Teacup-timid" is one of the most evocative descriptions I've read in awhile, and coupled with the rest of the description, it left a vivid image in my mind's eye.

A vivid character snapshot can keep minor characters from blurring together, and make a story more memorable. I'm filing this one in my Inspiration file!

Re-Vamp Time

It's time this long-neglected blog was used for something. Something that isn't business-related.

So, let's talk about books-- reading them, writing them, fondling them. There's just not enough time in the world for all of that, so maybe this is a place to start.

I'm reading Stephen King's On Writing this week. It's laugh-out-loud funny in spots, a little too profane for my taste (but too good to miss, even so), and practical, so far.

I am unpacking King's writer's toolbox now, and it's interesting to see what's in it. My personal writing rule is 'BIC' (backside in chair); the autobiographical section in On Writing provides a snapshot of exactly what this looks like in real life.

I'm also in the middle of several other books-- no point in reading one at a time, is there?