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Writing what I know, apparently
“Write what you know” is one of the first things writers learn to unlearn. Lots of common writing advice out there isn’t actually so spectacular, and even the good advice doesn’t work all the time. Dismantling bad habits and faulty preconceptions is as much a part of becoming a better writer than building up your skills.…
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Holiday thoughts
Hello for the first time in a shamefully long time, blog! In my defense, it has been a VERY cloudy early winter in Hermit Land, and I am a solar-powered life form. All of my hastily dwindling energy has been going to typing (because I’m paid to) and writing (because I need to) with none…
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End at the beginning
When I was younger, the concept of “starting over” frightened me. The phrase itself smacked of wasted time and effort, of defeat, of failure. If something — anything — needed to be started over, then that meant that mistakes were made. Better to just get it right the first time so you wouldn’t have to start…
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Story Origins, or How Athletic Failures Can Change Your Life
Since last I saw you, dear blog, I have been working on my first ever set of Official Revisions (a.k.a. as per my agent’s request), so for once I have a good excuse for such a long time between posts. This was the first pass of revisions on story that wasn’t a total overhaul (I…
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Last Day
Tomorrow, I make the transition from Awkward Home Summer* to Hermit Life 2014. Hermit Life will actually extend into 2015, as well – I have a six month lease in a tiny (TINY) cabin in nowheresville, PA, and I can’t WAIT. I’ve never actually lived alone before, and I’m super ready. Even as a little…
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Next Round
I am covered in mosquito bites. I have already complained about this on multiple social media platforms, but dear god, it bears repeating. There are SO MANY. I keep finding more, even though I got back from my annual rural family vacation yesterday. The vast majority of them are on my feet, also known as…
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Poor long-suffering characters
I bothered one of my characters today. He is one of the four POV characters in Story (a.k.a. The Children’s War), and he is the first character I came up with, waaaaaay back in the day. Like, high school back in the day. Lest that sound alarming (wow, kid, you’ve been working on the same…
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Grateful post
Since my last post, I have finished the second draft of werewolf story and visited a bunch of friends I haven’t seen in a long time. I have also consumed a bunch of media that made me cry, including about 30 seconds ago, so I’m feeling sappy. I’m going to write a real post soon…
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Formative Narratives
So basically as soon as I said that I was going to finish the second draft of werewolf story, I experienced my patented reoutline-everything-five-chapters-til-the-end part of my ~process. (This time, on a notepad in the car on the way back from a bridal shower for about an hour. I was pretty boring company, I’m afraid.) I…