Tag: Revising
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What’s Your Why, And How Does It Affect Your Writing
We hear the phrase a lot. What’s your why? Why are you choosing to do what you do? Specifically, why are you writing? So here’s your chance to explain yourself. What’s your why when it comes to your writing? I mean, you’ve got a reason for putting pen to paper, don’t you? Sure you do, […]
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Fixing Boring Fictional Characters By Looking Into Their Real Lives
There’s always a lot of discussion about characters in writing, as should be. I mean, without the characters, your story is just a long narrative on scenery and background. But hey, sometimes even with characters, your story is just a long narrative on scenery and background. And that sucks. But maybe your characters are just […]
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Hello New, Old Friend. I Think I’ve Missed You.
Hello there old friend. Why, those are some attractive accessories you’re sporting these days, and may I say you’re looking sleek and confident. Have you lost weight? Indeed, it shows. Come, let’s sit, talk, and get reacquainted, shall we? Ah, nothing like getting used to a new piece of equipment after your old one just […]
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Writing Fiction With A Nonfiction Brain
Just The Facts Ma’am It’s a learning process, that’s for sure. I was trained to see and report the facts, and only the facts. News reporting, community happenings, and numerous city council meetings meant digging for, uncovering, and reporting only the facts, in succinct, short, quick to the point sentences and fragments. It was […]
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Hey! Who Is Gonna Take Care Of That Fictional Dog You Just Put Into Your Story?
It was an easy decision at the time. I’ll add a cute dog in my fiction. Who doesn’t like dogs, right? It’ll be a great secondary-type character to add to the story, one that will pal around and help show the emotions, attitudes and thoughts of my characters. A dog will coexist perfectly with the characters, […]
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He Said, She Said: Dialogue Tags Are Killers
So I finally worked up the nerve to have the first 3000 words of my WIP read out loud and critiqued at a writing conference. Gasp! Yeah, I know, but there I was, in the crowd, waiting for my page to be drawn and read out loud by an actual publishing person, and then judged […]
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Crayons, Pens, Butcher Paper or Tablets, A Writer Is A Writer, No Matter The Method
There’s always talk about writing methods, and how to stay organized while telling your story. But I’ll tell you a little secret. I hate outlining. Hate it. Always did, and as far as I can tell, I always will. It just seems repetitive to me. I mean, if you know enough to thoroughly outline […]
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Finding The Time To Write Usually Means Making The Time To Write
Sure, we all have the same amount of hours in the day. That’s been the retort when complaining about not finding time in the day to get some quality, uninterrupted writing done. But everyone has their own individual priorities that have to be completed, based on work, family, or even health situations. So I […]
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Wait, What’s Your Name Again?
The name game. Do you have a process for choosing your character’s names? Are there reasons behind the choices? Family? Acquaintances? Bullies from grade school? Coworkers? I think we all have somewhat of a process. You know, we likely all have that one person we secretly would love to see on the other end of […]