I use the standard version of Dragon Naturally Speaking, which you can purchase the latest here for $99.00. I’ve also seen it discounted in the past on other sites for around $79.00. I wrote a long post about what it’s like to use it on my blog here if you want to know some of the pluses and minuses involved.

VRS takes some self-training, not only in speaking so that the program can train itself to your voice, but also for you to become accustomed to writing by voice. It’s not for everyone, and you may find you want to use it only as a supplemental means to using a keyboard, but it’s been a true godsend for me.

I totally overlooked this. But uh…. what’s your point? I’m greedy.

Erin wrote: I haven’t yet read the Stardoc series. I’m a little bit afraid to. LOL I am pretty sure I’d love it and I already have a to be bought list a mile long LOL

I know how you feel; I refuse to start any more new series until I finish my Sara Donati books. But thanks to my readers, the StarDoc books are all still in print, and I think they will be for at least two more years, so there’s plenty of time if you want to hunt them down in the future.

I appreciate anyone reading anything I write, Kim, so no head-hanging. Not to beat a subject to death, but try some of the freebies I have over on the blog sidebar to get a feel for the other stuff I write.

If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

That’s a hard one, let me see: Not for Sale.

What makes you smile?

Children, sunrises, my dog, my guy, the garden, roses, life.

…sad?

Seeing so much loneliness, despair and hopelessness in our world, and knowing I can’t fix it.

…angry?

Bigotry, hatred, injustice, needless suffering, hypocrites, cronyism, cruelty, dream-predators and hope-destroyers.

I’m just going to have to leave her a chunk of the estate now.

I’m fascinated by the topics you have at your blog, and so finally I started reading your books.

The discussions we have over at PBW are great, but I have a lot of interesting writers (including Ms. Walker) who drop in regularly and contribute a great deal to it. I hope to do the same for readers as I get the bugs worked out of my new Reader Wednesday feature.

Thank you, and just FYI — it’s Darkyn, but the original name I had for the series was “Darkling.” So are you psychic, or did I pitch you the series back in ‘98? Lol.

Sure. There are a ton of competently written, absolutely bloodless novels out there. I won’t point fingers, but I think they’re God’s way of telling the author that he/she has attended too many writing workshops.

And as a writer, how do you make sure that the emotional connection is there and yet not have it come out feeling like a soap opera

I think at some level you have to be emotionally invested in your characters and your story. They need to matter more to you than filling a publishing slot or making a buck. Then you’ll give them your best.

Once you’re invested, then you have to temper that love by keeping yourself grounded while you write. Great characters are ones who literally come alive in the mind of the reader who imagines being or being around those characters. They can’t do that if your cast is acting so weird or over-the-top that they kick the reader out of the story.

A good way to know if you’re writing at a reader-realistic level is to read the scene out loud to your friends or family. If they laugh, or you feel ridiculous, you’ve probably got some rewriting to do.