Emotional arcs: the teaspoon problem

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have," said Hermione nastily, picking up her quill again.--J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order...

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Tips to jazz up your revision process

Photo by kakisky, morguefile.com Many approach revision as if it were the literary equivalent of housecleaning. You sweep away redundancies, throw out excess adverbs and dialogue...

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I've gone to the dogs! (with Charmaine Clancy)

Celebrate the release of Charmaine Clancy's new book and win prizes! Dognapped? A dog show detective mystery featuring Kitty and her mischievous miniature schnauzer,...

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The iceberg approach to demonstrating character

We've all heard the advice "show, don't tell," but putting it into practice can be a challenge. Today I'd like to share one of my favorite techniques for showing how a character's...

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Finding the stillcenter

One month from today, I will be arriving here: photo by schurch, morguefile.com As you might guess, planning is making life a bit hectic. It's my fourth trip to the UK, but...

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See, place or quote? Using sight, site and cite

In my continuing series Homophone Helps, we'll be looking at three sound-alikes I've frequently seen confused both online and in some self-published books. Getting a handle on...

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Stolen from poets: "Make it new"

"Make it new" declared Ezra Pound (1885-1972), a statement that became a rallying cry to the generation of early 20th century writers  we now call the Modernists....

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Verse averse? Why you should try poetry

I'm over at Tyrean Martinson's blog today, explaining why fiction writers should include poetry reading in their craft-building self-education, in a post titled "Why read poetry?". Poets...

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Gilbert

My friend Gilbert had the kind of face you see on milk cartons on rainy Thursday mornings that puddle in your brain without a grain of sense or purpose but dripdrip drip. Gil...

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Samples

Sunday school never prepared her for this kind of life after death. "gorgeous, haunting...an impressive debut." --Leigh T. Moore, author of The Truth About Faking "a twisty...

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Short works

Short Fiction "New Hues" flash fiction excerpt from Never Gone Vine Leaves Literary Journal, issue 1 (Jan. 2012) anthologized in Best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal 2012 Available...

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