Author. Editor. Poet. Mom. Also a total grammar geek and word nerd.
Hello! I’m very grateful to Quy Ma at About Me Stories for inviting me to submit my bio to his terrific publication. As my subhead states above, I’m an author, editor, poet, and mom, and I’m also a total grammar geek and word nerd. I grew up in upstate New York in Syracuse; attended Syracuse University; and have lived in Hartford (CT), Nashville, Dallas, and Denver. My three kids have grown up primarily in Denver, so that’s where my immediate family calls home. My siblings (pictured above sans one brother; I’m the second sister from the right), live all over…
Thanks so much for including me in your group of five writers, Ryan! This is exactly the encouragement I need to post on Medium more often.
A look at two phenomenal Black American authors and the words they left behind
In my post “Why I Spent NaNoWrimo Reading and Sharing Rather than Writing,” I mentioned how much I enjoyed posting inspirational quotes for writers on Twitter throughout the month of November. I’ve always loved delving into literary history related not only to where writers come from but what compels them to write and the stories behind their stories. Below I revisit two of the quotes I shared and provide some details about their incredibly compelling sources. (Please note this post includes affiliate links, and I may earn a little money if you click on a link and make a purchase…
As long as you know what you’re doing
In my post 3 Rules Related to Commas and Semicolons in a Series, I explained that the Oxford comma is the last comma in a series of three or more elements before “and” or “or,” and that its use is determined by the related style rule that applies to what you’re writing. Simply put, you get to choose whether your personal style rule is to use — or not use — the Oxford comma. But it’s important that you understand the ramifications of either approach, know what the heck you’re doing, and are painstakingly consistent.
Follow directions
When you’re getting paid for…
LANGUAGE | HISTORY
From breaking the ice to burying the hatchet, these phrases reflect on human behaviors since medieval times
In my first Unique Word Origins post, I described idioms as groups of words that are used as common expressions. While these expressions are generally understood by speakers of a certain language who have lived for some time in a certain culture, they can leave others scratching their heads. Common English-language idioms in the U.S. are varied and often quirky. I found these on the nifty travel and language website, The Intrepid Guide:
Give the cold shoulder, which means to disregard someone, dates back to medieval England. Apparently at the end of a feast, a host would typically signal to…
A look at two phenomenal sci-fi/fantasy authors and the words they left behind
In my post “Why I Spent NaNoWrimo Reading and Sharing Rather than Writing,” I mentioned how much I enjoyed posting inspirational quotes for writers on Twitter throughout the month of November. I’ve always loved delving into literary history related not only to where writers come from but what compels them to write and the stories behind their stories. Below I revisit two of the quotes I shared and learn more about their incredibly compelling sources. (Please note this post includes affiliate links, and I may earn a little money if you click on a link and make a purchase. Thanks!)
Want to Read: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
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A novel by Janis Hallowell
“I thought of all the holy people throughout history, all the mystics and martyrs, artists and visionaries, and what the world would have been like if they’d all been given medication to make them ordinary. There would have been less suffering, no doubt about it, but I couldn’t imagine a world without saints and madmen.”
When The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn, Colorado author Janis Hallowell’s debut novel, was published in 2004, its beautiful cover was featured in bookstores across Denver, where I live, and Boulder, where Hallowell lived at that time. And while the story is beautiful as well, it…
A look at two very different geniuses and the words they left behind
In my post “Why I Spent NaNoWrimo Reading and Sharing Rather than Writing,” I mentioned how much I enjoyed posting inspirational quotes for writers on Twitter throughout the month of November. I’ve always loved delving into literary history related not only to where writers come from but what compels them to write and the stories behind their stories. Below I revisit two of the quotes I shared and learn more about their incredibly compelling sources. (Please note this post includes affiliate links, and I may earn a little money if you click on a link and make a purchase. Thanks!)
Want to Read: Robin by Dave Itzkoff
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A look at shifting sales paradigms, the impact of COVID, the continued growth of audiobooks, plus more
Please note this post includes affiliate links, and I may earn a little money if you click on a link and make a purchase. Thanks!
In my post “Traditional Book Publishing Trends Today, in 2020, and Beyond,” I wrote about publishing insider Jane Friedman, author of The Business of Being a Writer and a long-time expert on all things related to the book industry. …
And why your Medium following matters
Many top writers on Medium probably pass the 1,000-followers milestone within months. For me, it’s taken a year. So let’s start with what I don’t do:
- I don’t post multiple times a day or even once a day.
- I don’t publish my own publication.
- I don’t publish a newsletter.
While I know many highly recommend doing the above — and much more — to grow your following, I know my limits. …
Karen DeGroot Carter
Bylines in Publishers Weekly, the Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard, others. One Sister’s Song (novel). Not Nearly Everything You Need to Know About Writing (ebook).
