Over the years, my approach to writing has changed in some ways. For example, I frequently go back to things I wrote years ago, and I find ways to cut out excess words.

One of the ways I cut out words lately is to eliminate as many uses of the words saw, heard, felt and thought as possible. I think leaving out those words is a great way to make your writing more direct, leaner, and more concise. You can leave these words out because the reader will provide them for you. He will assume that your character is seeing, feeling, hearing and thinking what goes on in the story.

For example, you could write, he heard a car engine start nearby. Or you could simply say, a car engine started nearby

In a similar vein, you could write, He felt a cold breeze cut through his clothes. Or you can write, A cold breeze cut through his clothes.

My favorite example is, thought. Don't write, it's a trap, he thought. Instead write, it's a trap. You do not need to risk taking the reader out of your story by reporting that your character thought something. Instead, record his thoughts and assume your reader will know what you are doing.

In each example, the second approach is more direct and doesn't break up the flow of the story. You want to do anything that will keep your reader in your story. Keeping things flowing as much as possible by eliminating unnecessary words such as saw, heard, felt, and thought will help.

I now have a presence on Wattpad, the free fiction site. I am still trying to boost my audience, even more so now that I am becoming convinced that writing and publishing more is my best option in life, and I think I can do so by publishing some things on Wattpad.

Many will be complete offerings, others will be partial. I can also use it as a place to post some things I don't feel right publishing for money, such as my story Those Who Have Not Swords, which I started several years ago, and made some progress on before coming to a stop. I have since used part of it as backstory in one of my Charlie Rowe novels, False Witness. THis being the case, I don't feel that I can ask money for it, but I will offer it for free, in installments, as a sample of my work

Check Wattpad regularly, as I intend to post frequently.

In other news, I now own a condo. I closed last week, and I am now planning and preparing to move in during the month of July. It may taike a while to completely, especially when it comes to the contents of my storage locker, but I am finally going to be able to live on my own again.

In some ways, the prospect is terrifying, in some ways, it is exciting.