VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

Serious readers routinely look up any words they do not know. But there are also “intuitive” readers, who figure out a word just by reading the context in which the word is used and look up its meaning to fully grasp the writer’s meaning. I've heard some call this wishful thinking and the GrammarBook.com recently posted on this exact topic. Here is what they shared. The three examples below are sentences you might find in print or online. Each contains a possibly unfamiliar word which, if misinterpreted, sabotages the meaning of the sentence. • On a blistering August morning we came upon a 1960 Buick coruscating in the sun . Understanding coruscating is the key to understanding the sentence. The Intuitive Reader ponders the word, with its echoes of corrosion and rust , and concludes that the car was falling apart. A reader’s first impressions matter, and this reader now is picturing a broken-down old wreck. But coruscating means “sparkling.” In fact, the car in the tale ...

As an author, I'm asked a lot in interviews or when I meet someone, "Why did you start writing?" I've given a few different answers to this question over the years. The most common answer really is how I began my writing career, which is this: I used to work full-time in the fashion industry as a buyer. I moved from California to Utah as my husband, and I decided this gave us the opportunity for me to be home with our children, instead of gone, traveling or working long hours in an office while private schools and daycare became our kids lives. However, going from working to not working as a stay-at-home mom just isn't me, and so I took a writing course, loved it and so my writing career began.  Yes, this is the how I started writing, but what really made me fall in love with writing and for that matter reading books, too, I have to get a little bit more personal for the first time ever. As a kid, I was never a big reader. Sure I read the books assigne...

Join Virginia S Grenier and World of Ink Network for a special show on Global Diplomacy on June 30, 2016 at 1pm EST - 12 noon CST - 11am MST - 10am PST. Listen live or on demand at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2016/06/30/woi-speical--global-diplomacy-through-student-exchange Today's Show: FLAG is a Not-for-Profit Tax Exempt Organization, established in 1989. FLAG is Granted as an Official Sponsor Designated by the United States Department of State since 1990. Accepted for Listing in C.S.I.E.T.'s Advisory List. FLAG's vision is to promote global understanding and world peace by providing families and youngsters from across the globe with the best intercultural experience friendship can buy. Our Guests Will Be: Mazi Cunha, FLAG's founder and a former Brazilian exchange student, he founded FlAG along with his American host mother (since retired). Mazi, along with current Executive Director Marc Moralez, has a dedication and passion for stud...

I know I haven't been the best lately with sharing about my writing course with James Patterson and also my reading challenge for 2016. Life just seemed to get in the way, and I found myself off track and not writing like I've wanted to. So here I am trying to get myself back on a schedule of some kind and making time to write not only on my blog but also my books. I am happy to say that I have completed one of my novel outlines. I'm in the final stages and ready to begin the writing process. I'm really happy with how the outline turned out and I feel it was a great way to begin as there were things I didn't even think about putting in the book and things I just didn't see or notice until I went back through the outline and saw how they did or didn't work. Outlining is key I think for any writer and something all traditional publishers and agents ask to see before taking on a new author or when working with a new author after signing them. Hopefully, t...

Brenda Ueland, author of If You Want to Write, said, "Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. When people really listen to each other in a quiet, fascinated attention, the creative fountain inside each of us begins to spring and cast up new thoughts and unexpected wisdom." The most meaningful works -- books, paintings, sculptures, songs, crafts, a garden, anything -- are created by those who have learned the art of listening: listening to their hearts and to the hearts of others. It is when we listen that the most extraordinary seeds grow and become tangible. They become a motivating book, an awe-inspiring painting, a formidable sculpture, a most melodious song, a bouquet of breathtaking blooms. It is when we listen that we create tangible expressions of our compassion, understanding, love. It is when we listen that stories, poems or books begin percolating inside us. And it is when we listen that the unexpected wisdom and insights joyously leap in ...

I know it's been a whole month since my last post. Sorry about that everyone. I'm still working on my novel and also still need to complete my workshop with James Patterson. I plan on doing that very soon and will share what I've learned about my writing during those sessions and just on my own. I also will share about some of the books I've been reading. I've finished a few more over the past month; I just need to see if they fall under my 2016 reading challenge. But on a whole different note, I'm on a mission. Yes, a mission to help bring exchange students to my area in Southern Utah...namely Washington County, Utah. This past school year I signed up to be a local coordinator, and I have enjoyed. My two students have taught me a lot, and I hope they have learned from me, their host families and new American friends. (I think they have.) As this school year comes to an end, I find myself looking forward to the new school year (2016/17). I'm going to m...

In my most recent class with James Patterson, he addressed writer's block and the things keeping those who want to write from writing. I find I don't get writer's block, and even Patterson made the comment he is immune to it. Those who tend to get writer's block in my opinion (which isn't too far from Patterson's) focus on getting one thing completed and, therefore, find themselves stressing about what isn't happening instead of moving on to something else. For example: focusing on writing an individual chapter, scene, character sketch, blog post, book blurb. The problem is most writers don't move on and come back to whatever it was holding them up. Instead, they stare at the black screen, page or whatever hoping the words will come. If you can't relax the mind, how can your muse honestly come forward? It can't. So move on. Write something else, go for a walk, get some chores done around the house, call a friend, get something to eat or drink...

I'm happy to say that I finally finished the one book holding me up from starting this challenge and "Honeymoon" by James Patterson as my first book from the list (suggested book to read by friends, spouse, etc). Okay, so I guess I should give some feedback on the book I just finished reading...right? Well, this was an easy read, and if I had carved out some time one weekend, I might have been able to finish this novel in one day. It's a fast moving storyline and one I enjoyed reading not only as a reader but also with an author ear. What do I mean by this? "Honeymoon" breaks the POV rule we are heard when it comes to writing as a first-time or even as a seasoned author. I was surprised to find both 1st person and 3rd person point of view alternately throughout the book. Kid you not. It was well done, and the transition between the two different POV's was smoothly done. A true master. What I liked about the book was getting into the both the pro...

In a lot of the writing groups and conferences I've been to the topic of research has come up from time to time. There are many different opinions on the subject, and many will tell you research is only necessary when you are writing about something you know very little to nothing about. But is this really the case and if it is, does your writing suffer from not doing research all the time? After writing many short stories and picture books for young readers, my opinion on doing research might be very different from yours. I have always felt research is critical no matter how much I know or don't know about a certain subject. There is always something I learn each time, even on topics I know a lot about as things are always changing, and changing fast sometimes these days. However, I thought I was just one of the weird writers out there feeling this way until I took a research workshop with James Patterson, who had this to say about research. "Research really he...

Here is my weekly report on my 2016 Reading Challenge. I'd love to say I'm on track and reading up a storm, but this would only be sort of correct. I have been reading, but not the book I said I would be starting with... Honeymoon by James Patterson. Currently, I'm trying to finish up a book I started in 2015 but don't read every chance I get. I wonder if I could somehow include this on my list of books to read in 2016? How about read a book you didn't finish in the pervious year (2015)? That works, right? Anyway, I'm planning on finishing up this book and jumping into the reading challenge by this coming week. That's the goal and I'll be sure to update you this time next week on how I did. Let me know how you're doing with this reading challenge or just share some great books you think I might enjoy reading. If they don't fit into my list of books to read for 2016, I'll see if I can come up with a new category for it on the list...