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Blog Posts

Jun 13, 20241 min read
A Podcast. Three narrative devices: the MacGuffin, Red Herring and Cuttlefish.
This is a rerelease podcast that I recorded to explain the three narrative devices often used in thrillers.
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Jun 6, 20242 min read
Wondering how to start your book? Try medias res!
Medias res is a Latin term meaning "in the middle of things." In writing, starting a story in medias res means beginning the narrative in...
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Jun 5, 20241 min read
The Blurb: Tips to Captivate Readers - A Video
What exactly is a blurb? Its purpose?
How do you write an effective blurb for the back of your book cover? Watch this video for answers
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Jun 4, 20243 min read
To epilogue or not to epilogue?
An epilogue is a section at the end of a novel that provides closure to the story beyond the main narrative.
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Jun 1, 20243 min read
Tone: creating mood and influencing readers.
Tone is the writer's attitude towards the subject matter or audience conveyed through their style, language, and overall approach.
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May 26, 20242 min read
Understanding Backstory: Prep for Character Development
Character's backstory si the foundational element that shapes his or her identity, motivations, and actions throughout your story.
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May 24, 20243 min read
A Writer’s Life: A Setting Surprise
I remembered visiting a lovely tiny village on the Eastern Shore of Virginia quite a few times in early 2000. This was it! My setting!
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May 16, 20241 min read
Music for Writing: Attention, Creativity, Motivation, and more.
Music has been found to prompt enhanced activity in the right hemisphere of the brain, a region associated with imagination….
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May 14, 20242 min read
Proust’s Questionnaire – 35 Questions All Your Characters Should Answer
Use Marcel Proust's 35 point questionnaire to develop well-rounded and complex characters for novels.
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May 11, 20242 min read
I LOVE "ING" WORDS - How was I to know they were BAD?
"Ing" words, also known as present participles or gerunds, are words that end in "-ing" and are used to convey continuous or ongoing actions
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Apr 30, 20242 min read
Writer's Block and What To Do about it.
On of the greatest challenges for all novelists is writer’s block. If you are a writer, you probably have experienced this one time or...
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Apr 22, 20241 min read
Unveiling the Art of Subtext in Dialogue
Subtext in writing dialogue refers to the underlying meanings, implications, or emotions conveyed indirectly through the spoken words....
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Apr 14, 20241 min read
North Street Book Prize: Grand Prize $10,000
Winning Writers will award a grand prize of $10,000 in the 10th annual North Street competition for self-published and hybrid-published book
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Apr 12, 20244 min read
Internalization: What is it, why use it, and how to write it.
Internalization is what the character is thinking…his/her internal thoughts and feelings. Internalization adds texture and life....
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Apr 11, 20243 min read
How Master the Art of Showing vs. Telling in Your Writing: 5 Best Practices.
dive into a most crucial aspect of storytelling: showing versus telling. It's all about using words that appeal to the five senses.
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