Q&A: So, about “stealing”…
Recently, I received a question about one of my previous posts Stealing: How to do it the Right Way. I thought that this question was a perfect example of the […]
Dialogue: Writing Natural Conversations
In my previous article Inspiration: Mining the World for Ideas, I mentioned carrying a notebook at all times and recording interesting tidbits of dialogue for stories. In that article I […]
Inspiration: Mining the World for Ideas
There are times in most writers’ lives where their muse takes an unannounced vacation. Sometimes, there’s no real reason for this desertion, and sometimes she doesn’t even leave a note […]
Books: The Thirteenth Tale
Margaret Lea’s life has revolved around books for as long as she can remember, but her favorite stories have long been biographies. She devoured memoirs and diaries and adored bringing […]
Characters: Why Perfection is Annoying
People aren’t perfect. Of course, perfection, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, but people aren’t universally perfect. In fact, most people’s automatic reaction when they see someone […]
Update: Apologies
Three weeks into the new year and I’m already dangerously close to breaking one of my New Years resolutions. It is a sad state of affairs. Because of this failing, […]
Update: New Years Resolutions
In the spirit of the holiday season and the strong desire to be held accountable by someone other than myself for the goals I have in mind, I decided to […]
Characters: Really Listening to the Voices in Your Head
“Where do your characters come from?” It’s a question many authors are asked, and each one has a different answer. Some characters are based on a single individual, while others […]
Update: I’ve Graduated!
Yesterday, I turned in my last undergraduate paper! I am no longer a college student! In fact, for the first time in my life (that I can remember–I don’t think […]
Outlining: The Good, the Bad, and the Helpful
I used to hate brainstorming. Do you remember those days in elementary school when the teacher would set aside time in the day for you to create Venn diagrams and […]