It's December!! Anyone else enjoying the chilly weather? Anyone not enjoying it? Personally, I love that time of year when I can finally, finally, dig my sweaters out from underneath my shorts. (Just kidding, I don't actually put my pants in the same drawer as my shirts. I'm not a monster.) I feel like I … Continue reading Slaying Dragons, Paid Book Reviews, Writing Lessons, and More!
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Why I Chose ProWritingAid Premium Over the Competition
A few weeks ago, I got an email from ProWritingAid that changed my life. Funnily enough, I had never used ProWritingAid before, but I was subscribed to their emails because of their writing events. Despite the positive reviews I had heard about the software, I used Grammarly instead because its free version was much more … Continue reading Why I Chose ProWritingAid Premium Over the Competition
Reblog: What Is a Story Keystone? by JGlover – The Art of Storytelling
http://theartofstorytelling.co.uk/2023/11/22/what-is-a-story-keystone/ What in your story is so important that the rest of the story can't stand without it? It's the theme, of course. This is why I love thinking of theme as this new term I heard from JGlover's post: the story keystone. Even after you've heard me harp on theme time after time, you … Continue reading Reblog: What Is a Story Keystone? by JGlover – The Art of Storytelling
What I Learned about Emotional Storytelling from a Kid’s Video Game
I've been a nerd all my life; maybe that's why I still play Pokémon as an adult. Pokémon was as instrumental in my growing up as Disney, Star Wars, Narnia, and Lord of the Rings. Some of my earliest memories are waking up early to watch Pokémon on TV with my older sister. In my … Continue reading What I Learned about Emotional Storytelling from a Kid’s Video Game
Get Rid of the Fluff!
Time. It’s one thing to experience it, another to relate it to a reader. It takes careful work to manage the flow of time in a fiction story. When do you describe a character brushing their teeth? Or waking up in the morning? When do you detail a conversation and when do you skim over … Continue reading Get Rid of the Fluff!
One Crucial Step You Shouldn’t Skip in Self-Publishing
You have an idea. You write a book. You publish a book. Hooray! But. . . there’s a step missing. A step that will ensure your book is professional. A step that will keep, rather than turn away, readers. Editing. Maybe you think I’m crazy for suggesting that someone would skip this step. If so, … Continue reading One Crucial Step You Shouldn’t Skip in Self-Publishing
A Post for Every Writing Need!
I'm still learning. And hopefully, you are, too. I've been running this blog since early 2020, but I'm learning new things about content writing, running a website, and blogging all the time. Hopefully, I'm still able to provide relevant content even after 500+ posts! Over the past few weeks, I've been experimenting with post length … Continue reading A Post for Every Writing Need!
Three Keys to Crafting Memorable Dialogue
'How are you?' [Mr. Holmes] said cordially, gripping my hand with a strength for which I should hardly have given him credit. 'You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.' 'How on earth did you know that?' I asked in astonishment. 'Never mind,' said he, chuckling to himself. 'The question now is about hemoglobin. No doubt … Continue reading Three Keys to Crafting Memorable Dialogue
From Hobbiton to Mordor: Creating Your Own World Like Tolkien’s
There are few works as enduring as J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even now, decades after the books were written, movies and shows are still being made. Books on Middle Earth are still being published. In fact, there's even a Lord of the Rings concert coming to my city soon, and it's a … Continue reading From Hobbiton to Mordor: Creating Your Own World Like Tolkien’s
Extracting Writing Wisdom from Romantic European Literature—No Expertise Needed!
My books still aren't organised. Back in March, I unexpectedly had to move my entire house within a month. Quick was the word, so when I took my books out of their boxes in the new place, they first went on counters and tables. When the shelves arrived, they were shoved on willy-willy; I'd set … Continue reading Extracting Writing Wisdom from Romantic European Literature—No Expertise Needed!
The Story Canvas 