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Category: About Writing

The Benefits of Humanizing Characters

The Benefits of Humanizing Characters

Hey everyone, It’s the first day of NaNoWriMo. For those who are new to this, that is “National Novel Writing Month.” I love this time of year. Work is winding down (sort of) and the holidays are gearing up. And with our New Year’s resolutions looming in the sidelines, we have one last shot to complete them, right? So, what did I do with my NaNo Morning? I welcomed a new author, had coffee, read my emails and am now…

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NaNoWriMo 2021: What’s Your Goal?

NaNoWriMo 2021: What’s Your Goal?

In  a few days, I’ll be diving into not one, not two, not even three projects. I’ve challenged myself far beyond my possible tolerance. But I am not looking at completing my challenge in November. This goes far beyond, well into 2022 and 2023. As in the previous post, NaNoWriMo is more than a month event. Perhaps I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, but the bones of success are there. Most of my works are done, and just…

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NaNoWriMo is More than a Month Event

NaNoWriMo is More than a Month Event

. . . NaNoWriMo isn’t for people who “have” time for writing. It’s about making time for writing. It’s about deciding that for just one month, you’re going to prioritize creativity in your life. . . . I am an avid reader of Writer’s Digest online, and today they offered a PDF specifically for NaNoWriMo. Primarily, This little nugget isn’t for just November NaNo, it applies to every day, and every time you sit down to write. Just thought I…

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Nellie Stockbridge – Real Life Character

Nellie Stockbridge – Real Life Character

Works:  Bully of Burke and Nellie Stockbridge Mystery Name: Nellie Stockbridge Born: 1868, Illinois. Died: May 22, 1965, Wallace, ID. In 1898, at age 30, Nellie Stockbridge left her home in Illinois to work with Thomas Barnard at his Wallace, Idaho photography studio. A year after her arrival the area exploded — April 1899 Coeur d’Alene Mining Insurrection — which she and Barnard documented. Over the next decades, working often to exhaustion, Nellie photographed the people and places of one of…

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Does Your Novel have Flavor?

Does Your Novel have Flavor?

If you start with substandard ingredients your broth will be clear and your soup unflavorful and disgusting. You wouldn’t serve cold french fries and stale bread to your in-laws would you? (OK, don’t answer that!) Every stew begins with individual ingredients: stock, veggies, meat, herbs and seasonings, flour for thickening. These ingredients are similar to preparing your story: characters, location, conflict. It is the type of ingredients we choose and how they are combined that determines the quality of final…

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