What are your writing goals for 2020? Are you on track to achieve those goals?
We all know writing is a marathon, not a sprint. For many, the pandemic demolished their writing goals for the year, or at least set them back.
I don’t want to push you if you’re not ready — we all cope differently and on our own timeline — but setting goals can help steer your writing dreams back onto the track. 🙂
Name one writing goal you hope to achieve this year. What about in 5 years? 10 years?
What’s the best writerly gift you’ve ever received? Why was it so helpful?
Are you hoping for a writerly gift this year? If so, what?
Bonus Questions:
What’s the best gift you’ve received from an author? What made it so special?
Do you include reader gifts in your holiday promotions? Care to share where you create/buy your promotional gifts?
Photo credit: https://littleshop.fandom.com/wiki/
With the holidays in full swing, many of us have recipes somersaulting through our mind, along with a mile-long to-do list.
In the Coletta household, the first whiff of the holiday season triggers my family to drool in anticipation.
Not-so-subtle chants for almond biscotti waft through our house, similar to Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. “Feed. Me!”
I shared this recipe in the comments last year, but some of you might’ve missed it. If you’re interested in adding a tasty treat to your holiday table, the recipe is as follows…
Ingredients
3/4 C (180 ml) Whole Almonds
3 Large Eggs
1 t. Vanilla Extract
1/2 t. Almond Extract (optional)
2 C. Flour
3/4 C. Sugar
1 t. Baking Powder
1/4 t. Salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread out almonds on a baking tray and bake 8-10 minutes until light brown and fragrant. Let cool a few minutes, then chop coarsely.
Reduce over to 300 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment (wax) paper.
Whisk eggs and extracts in a separate bowl, then whisk in the dry ingredients. Lastly, fold in your almond pieces and stir till you get a doughy consistency.
Flour your cutting board (or whatever surface works for you) and divide the dough into 7″ logs that are about 3″-4″ wide. Transfer logs onto baking sheet and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until firm to the touch (log will spread during baking).
Remove and let cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and slice 1/4″-1/2″ pieces on the diagonal. Place slices of biscotti on the baking sheet and bake an additional 10-15 minutes on each side until golden. Keep in mind, the longer you bake the crunchier they’ll be, so the time depends on your preference. My family likes them somewhere between soft and crunchy.
To Triple the Recipe (which I do; makes about 60 biscotti)
2 1/4 C. Almonds
9 Eggs
4 1/2 t. Vanilla
6 C. Flour
2 1/4 C. Sugar
3 t. Baking Powder
3/4 Salt
Be sure to make more logs so they cook all the way through. Then proceed as above.
A word of a caution: once you make almond biscotti a la Coletta ;-), you may have to do it every year.
Care to share your favorite holiday recipe?
As many of you know, I live in northern New Hampshire, where trees burst with color in the fall. It’s impossible to be down, upset, or melancholy when you’re surrounded by such beauty.
I’ve lived in New England my entire life, and the foliage never gets old. Nature is magnificent, is it not? And oh, so, inspiring. For this reason (plus I’m a Libra 😉 ), fall is my favorite time of year.
What’s your favorite time of year? It could be a month, a season, or even a special week. Just be sure to tell us why.
Pick one or answer them all — your call!
What’s the scariest book you’ve ever read, and why?
Did you expect to be frightened or did the author surprise you in some way?
What’s the scariest movie you’ve ever watched, and why?
Have you ever written a story meant to frighten readers? Did you pull it off?
By SUE COLETTA
On TKZ, we’ve been known to beat the show-don’t-tell drum, because it makes the scene come alive. When a writer nails an emotion so perfectly, it’s easy to visualize the moment.
What’s your favorite emotion to portray?
What’s your crutch body cue that you edit out?
Care to share a favorite line or two from your WIP, published book, or from a story you’ve read that shows a vivid emotion?
Please also share the circumstances surrounding the character, so we can appreciate the emotion in the right setting.
It’s a Presidential Election Year–aka “Silly Season”–again. What are some of your favorite political thriller books or films?
Update: We’re truly sad to learn of the passing of Harper Lee, who wrote perhaps the best “political” story (as told through the highly personal story of a child) in American history, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
BY Kathryn Lilley, TKZ FOUNDER
So many films have been inspired by novels–most of them, unfortunately, were Not So Good. Can you name ONE film that was as good as the novel it was based upon (or even better?)
Following are listed some of my personal favorite novel-to-film creations.
JURASSIC PARK
THE GODFATHER
BLADE RUNNER
THE THING
THE GREAT GATSBY
THE HUNGER GAMES
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
GONE WITH THE WIND
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
50 SHADES OF GRAY
JAWS
In honor of our leprechaun fans.
