Blog Posts

A Podcast. Three narrative devices: the MacGuffin, Red Herring and Cuttlefish.

Jun 13, 20241 min read

Writing Craft

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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Wondering how to start your book? Try medias res!

Jun 6, 20242 min read

Writing Craft

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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The Blurb: Tips to Captivate Readers - A Video

Jun 5, 20241 min read

Writing Craft

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

Writing Craft

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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Tone: creating mood and influencing readers.

Jun 1, 20243 min read

Dialogue

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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Understanding Backstory: Prep for Character Development

May 26, 20242 min read

Writing Craft

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

Writing Craft

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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Music for Writing: Attention, Creativity, Motivation, and more.

May 16, 20241 min read

Brain Power

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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Proust’s Questionnaire – 35 Questions All Your Characters Should Answer

May 14, 20242 min read

Writing Craft

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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I LOVE "ING" WORDS - How was I to know they were BAD?

May 11, 20242 min read

Writing Craft

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

Brain Power

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

Dialogue

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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North Street Book Prize: Grand Prize $10,000

Apr 14, 20241 min read

Writing Contests

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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Internalization: What is it, why use it, and how to write it.

Apr 12, 20244 min read

Writing Craft

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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How Master the Art of Showing vs. Telling in Your Writing: 5 Best Practices.

Apr 11, 20243 min read

Writing Craft

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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