Tagged: Novels

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Why Do I Write?

When Asked Why I Write, I Answer: I don’t. It’s the simple truth. I don’t write screenplays and novels. I give life to them. It’s not merely putting pen to paper, I breathe life into a non-existent void. I expand...

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Ending Scenes or Chapters – The Right Way

Ending scenes the right way can be tricky. There are certain rules that each chapter, or scene, should follow. I know this is counter-intuitive since writing really doesn’t have any rules but bear with me. The idea of a scene...

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Stuck In The Middle, Again

As a writer, we’ve all been there. By “there” I of course mean a myriad of places. Especially the In Between. We’ve all stared at a blank page, a blinking cursor, or the sharpened end of a pencil. We’ve all...

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Take A Day Off Already!

A Day Off You Say? From the time we first pick up a pen and put words to blank pages, writers are ingrained with one overbearing, overwhelming and over-exaggerated rule: Write every day. We get it from writing classes, instructors,...

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Who You Should Be Writing For

We write stories in a certain genre. We have a connection with a particular audience. Our readers are thought to be of a specific type, age range, nationality or any other aspect we deem we are writing our story to,...

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Will You Synopsis Me, Please?

I have covered the topic of the all mighty synopsis a few times. Yet, I find that this lingering evil needs more exposure. Overcoming fear by acclimation, I suppose. How does one go about a synopsis though? I know some...

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Give Driving Directions

Long ago I learned a valuable life lesson: Not everyone gives good driving directions, not everyone receives driving directions well. You can Learn Writing Lessons From Life As I was just starting out driving (I told you, it was long...

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Voice, On!

Voice is imperative. It’s essential. It is everything. It is quite possible to have one of the greatest storylines ever created, the vast lands, the adorable and lovable characters, the perfect plot twists and the greatest ending ever penned by...

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Research: The Conundrum

Research is touchy. Especially for writers. Women don’t like to feel made a fool of, or gullible. Men know everything and want to prove it. Readers, in general, don’t like being data dumped upon. There is a fine line between...

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Archetype or Arc?

Story Arc and Archetype, Explained Today I will discuss story arc and story archetype. Wait. I hear you say. Aren’t they the same thing? I mean, arc is just an abbreviation of archetype, right? Well… no. They do have some...

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Mar. 16 Writing Prompt

What a long and crazy week this has been. I am glad it’s ove… what? It’s only Tuesday? That doesn’t bode well. Well, we take what we are given and we make the best of it, right? So, here we...

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Mar. 15 Writing Prompt

Over the weekend, we covered a couple of aspects of point of view. One had you start to think like another person, and the other showed you how important POV can be to your story. I was going to continue...

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This Blog Post Has Moved

The blog post titled “How Going Outside Will Make Your Book Better” is now a guest blog post for Between The Lines. You can find the blog and all of it’s wonderful information on the BTL website by following this...

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Mar. 01 Writing Prompt

Welcome to a new month! A month of clock movement, warmer weather (hopefully) and writing a lot more words on your WiP. To start off the month, I want to begin at the ending. Essentially, we will talk about endings...

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Playing God Is Torture

As a writer I have seen and heard it all. Everything from the mundane stereotypes all the way to the awkward assumptions. As a reader, I have read it all. Just like in movies, in a book everything has been...

Disaster 0

Feb. 17 Writing Prompt

This week (so far) I’ve asked you to write about dystopian worlds. First, we concentrated on the aftermath of what caused the dystopia, then we worked towards turning things around and building a utopia. Today, the lesson is in-line with...

Setting the Scene 0

Setting a Scene

Setting the scene is as important as creating real-to-life characters. It is an art form and you are the artist. As an artist, we have a plethora of ways to interact with those that wish to be entertained. We act,...

Self-Doubt 0

The Biggest Killer: Self-Doubt

Literary agents, publishers, editors, synopses, query letters… all scary things, all demanding, demeaning. Sometimes they can be daunting, haunting, loathing as well as loathed. Oftentimes heartbreaking, disconcerting, dispiriting. None of them hold a candle to yourself. You truly are your...

Extra Draft History 0

A Brief History of the Masterclass

Where did The Extra Draft Writing Course come from? Here is a brief history of its conception through today (Plus a BONUS SURPRISE announcement!!). Are you ready to get personal? It All Started About 10 Years Ago… It all started...

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When Characters Talk Back

When Characters Talk Back You spend hours, days, even weeks creating characters to walk the lives you give them in the stories you create. What happens when your characters talk back to you, though? Well, if you are like me...