Writing
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My Week In The Life As A Writer
I was figuring out my schedule for this past week, as I do at the beginning of every new week, and I was actually surprised at home much of my day is spent focused on some aspect of writing. Even though I’m a creative at heart, I am also someone who cannot thrive without pre-planning
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DIALOGUE is just people talking
***image from FreePik.com*** I’ve had so many writers tell me that they struggle with dialogue. When I first began writing novels, I did, too. I would get feedback from my critique group saying, “A lot of the characters sound the same,” or, “A lot of the characters sound like you.” In the late 1990s, I
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Pomodoros For Productivity
Are you a writer struggling to stay focused? Do you sit down to write and feel overwhelmed? Does your busy life schedule crowd out regular writing sessions? If you haven’t heard about Pomodoros before, let me introduce you to something called The Pomodoro Technique, named after the tomato shaped timer the inventor of this efficient
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The Top 5 Things That Inspire My Writing
I find myself filling more and more files with ideas for novels, stories, and even a series, the more I write. It doesn’t hurt to have a very active imagination, either. But how did my head get so full of everything from simple, one sentence ideas, to character sketches, to more complex plots and settings?
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STRATEGIES For Defeating My Top 5 Distractions That Take Me Away From Writing
Last week I posted a list of the top 5 distractions that can derail my writing time and productivity. This week, I will share my strategies for conquering them and making my writing a priority. Before I deal with each of the distractions separately, I have to say that my best solution to making sure
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The Pitch That Got Me A Book Deal
Successful Pitches 2. They’re Watching by Jacqueline McMahon, coming next year at Creative James Media When the wind turbines next to her family’s acreage start communicating with her mentally distraught daughter, a protective mother with her own experience hearing the turbine’s voices must bargain with them in the hopes of protecting her family from the
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My Top 5 Distractions That Take Me Away From Writing
Some days, my focus is solid, and I can get into my writing flow within minutes of starting a session. Other days, anything and everything seems to have the power to take me out of my writing. It’s on those days that I have to use strategies to keep me grounded and not let the
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My Top 5 Suspense/Thriller Authors
Continuing with my top 5 series, this week I decided to highlight the suspense writers whose books I really enjoy and who help shape my writing, because who better to learn from than those who are successful in one of my genres. I like could create a list of my top 25 favorite suspense authors,
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MY TOP 5 WORST PLACES TO WRITE
So last week I posted about my top 5 best places to write. Living in a small town of about 1200 residents, with nature literally in my back yard, really lends itself to some lovely, inspiring outdoor spaces. This week, I’m going to share my worst places to write. Some of these could be anywhere,
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MY TOP 5 BEST PLACES TO WRITE
I’m feeling fairly confident with the process I’ve created to make time to write consistently, usually scoring 3 to 4 sessions every single week. But I have also found that changing circumstances can definitely affect my writing sessions, sometimes becoming distraction sessions. One of the biggest factors that can pull me away from achieving successful