These aren’t dogs we’re talking about. Stories don’t have to come when they’re called. The title is a digital placeholder, a pointer that directs you to the genius tale you’re focused on creating.

Characters? Unless you’re writing biography, character names are meaningful only to you. I’ll bet my cap feathers nobody ever read the final page of a novel, and then sighed and said, “What great names.”

On the final edit, and the really final edit, and the edit that might genuinely be the last final edit, I’m still open to suggestion. If you’re planning to involve other people in your publishing journey, don’t grow attached.

Pitch, premise, synopsis, and story. Those are your bread and butter.

Character names and titles. Forget about em.

Visit other IWSG Blog Hop participants, and add your name to the list.

The IWSG’s co-hosts this month are Beverly Stowe McClure, Tyrean Martinson, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

Curious about the image on this page?

A-to-Z Challenge: Z is for Puzzle

Writing bliss. And writing risks. The Fool has it covered. The flowered Z is by artist tr3gi on canstock. CV Grehan here.

My X and Y posts are still simmering on the stove. I put them aside to focus on the Challenge’s Grand Finale Day.

Z-Day!

Entering this month, I had planned to write more and doodle less but, five days into the challenge, a bolt shot out of the sky. Despite the plot twist, I did accomplish my primary goal for this challenge: I met many talented, generous and inspiring writers. Thank you for your hard work.

I finish the month with a doodle. A summary of my A-to-Z posts in the form of a game. I call it a ‘puzzle’ but it’s not tricky. The background image is fitting for the April I’m leaving behind, and for May which feels so hopeful.

I’ve used The Fool image, in various forms, many times during the challenge. Once again, credit goes to artist Xochicalco. You can license the image at canstockphoto, #csp6440045.

Curious about the other images on this page?

For the solution to the puzzle, scroll down …

You’re not really doing the puzzle, are you?

I can’t believe you’re still scrolling.

The solution:

Across:

2) Power, 5) Blogroll, 6) Scifi, 7) Writerdearest, 9) Spellchecking, 11) Fantasy, 13) RIP, 19) ImPagination, 20) DaBait, 21) Sock, 22) Bio.

Down:

1) Memoir, 3) Horror, 4) WomensFiction, 6) Suspense, 8) Interrobang, 10) Mashups, 12) Typos, 14) FengShui, 15) Western, 16) Epigraph, 17) Dogged, 18) Haiku.

Thanks for playing! To show my appreciation, I will write the names of all players on the wings of captive mayflies and release them into the wild. Granted, mayflies don’t live more than 24-hours, but this will require a considerable amount of work on my part.