Writing tips
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How to use the Save the Cat Beat Sheet
Do you know how to use the Save the Cat Beat Sheet? It's a novel-writing template popularized by Blake Snyder in his book "Save the Cat!"
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Why writers use animals in books
I love reading books that have animals in them. Do you? When I write, I also use animals in books. I use them for humor and to show love, plus I think animals…
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Top 10 Books Writers Need
Writing is a solitary life. It’s not easy, but I find it lots of fun. One thing all writers need are great books to help them with plotting, editing, finding the right words…
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My ultimate writing goals
My ultimate writing goals were to be traditionally published and write tons of books. I never dreamed about being rich – I just wanted to write. Then I started writing. The first thing…
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World-building – why every author must use it in their novels
I’m part of a critique group composed mostly of fantasy/sci-fi writers. They talk a lot about world-building, and at first I didn’t know what they meant. But over time, I’ve realized all writers…
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How I learn from my mistakes and failures in my writing
This year, I’m choosing to be thankful for, and learn from, my mistakes and failures. Especially in my writing. The last few years have been full of challenges. And change. And loss. Not…
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Critique groups: how & why they help writers
Critique groups help writers — did you know that? Criticism can be tough, and sometimes the criticism isn’t constructive; it’s downright painful! I don’t like being told what I’ve written is wrong. Or…
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Are you a plotter or pantser?
If you write, you probably know if you’re a plotter or pantser. If you’re new to writing, though, you may be wondering what the difference is! The plotter – Some people are methodical…
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How to hook your reader
What I love about this blog, is that I can share things as I learn. And, what I’ve been learning about is how to hook your reader! Hook is one of the writing…
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Obstacles to writing (aka writer’s block)
As my daughter left for her college classes the other day, I told her I was meeting with a writing mentor/coach. I said something like too bad my ideas don’t translate to words…
