Month: February 2014

I’ve seen the Glimmering

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 8, 2014. Posted in General. 2 Comments on I’ve seen the Glimmering

That little glimmer of hope that appears like a flickering flame when you’ve been immersed in darkness for so long you’ve allowed the prospect of success to dim, smoldering. Not a giving up—no way!— but a dampening down, a waiting, a refusal to let hope spring into false hope until real tender presents for a true igniting. That’s...

Word to the Wise: Pay Attention to Your Beta Readers

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 5, 2014. Posted in General. 3 Comments on Word to the Wise: Pay Attention to Your Beta Readers

Three years ago, or maybe four, a man I did not know arrived at my writing group, and during a long conversation about the first chapter of The Bone Trench, he said, “I’m ready to see Cat Thomas return.” I assured him Cat, who opened the novel in a brief scene, would be back shortly, specifically at the beginning of the next...

Redeeming the Synopsis

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 4, 2014. Posted in General. 6 Comments on Redeeming the Synopsis

I know you hate it, but consider writing a synopsis of your novel. Not to accompany a submission to an agent—usually the only reason any of us take on this mind-stupefying task. Do it to see the holes in your manuscript. Like many, I have long hated the idea that in order to gain agency representation, the writer had to reduce her 80,000 word...

I Remember the Dancing Samoans

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 3, 2014. Posted in General. 2 Comments on I Remember the Dancing Samoans

I think too much from the spot I stand in. So when I watched the Coke commercial during the Superbowl and felt tears start in my eyes, it never dawned on me people would complain. Calling the commercial names, some much worse than un-American. At best, divisive. To put this in perspective, my favorite physical metaphor of community is the San...

When Following the Money is a Good Thing

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 3, 2014. Posted in General. 4 Comments on When Following the Money is a Good Thing

My last blog post left several people wondering, what did Utah do? The state examined the amount of money homelessness was costing the state and implemented a “housing first” program that gives supportive housing to those who have experienced homelessness for an extended period and have a disabling condition. You can read more about...