Rough Draft November and Shiny Object Syndrome
We’re almost at the end of Rough Draft November and things are getting real. It’s also the most dangerous time in a story’s evolution because this is when the dreaded Shiny Object Syndrome kicks in.
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How Story Structure Saved the Princess, the Knight, and the Lamb
Years ago, I came up with this presentation for a local writing group and blog. And just a few days ago, someone asked me to share it again. So this is a repost from the very early archives… but it’s still totally relevant!
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Rough Draft Preptober: Part 2
If you’re looking forward to writing a rough draft in November, here are a few resources that can help you prepare for you next writing journey.
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Rough Draft Preptober: Part 1
It’s Preptober time! And this year I’m focusing on writing a very rough draft of a story i’ve been thinking about for years. I’m not worried about perfection or word count, and I’ve included a list of basic tools to help you prep a story for its rough draft stage.
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A Ghostly Tale for Halloween
The Adventure of the German Student, by Washington Irving, is still one of my favorite all-time ghost stories. It’s perfect for Halloween!
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Let’s Wish Robert Burns a Happy Birthday!
Let’s raise a glass today to toast Robert Burns, Scotland’s National Poet and the author of Auld Lang Syne.
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Public Domain Day: It’s That Time of Year
On Public Domain Day, January 1, 2024, creative works from 1928, including notable books like “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” films such as “Steamboat Willie,” and various musical pieces and sound recordings from 1923 became free for public use.
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NaNoWriMo Prep in a Day
It’s the first day of NaNoWriMo! While I’m already behind, I have a plan to catch up and write 50,000 words in a month while also staying sane and happy.
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Longfellow’s Haunted Houses
It’s almost Halloween so it’s time for a spooky poem. And one of my favorites is Haunted Houses by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
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That Which We Call a Rose…
Naming fictional characters isn’t as easy as it might seem. Authors invest a lot of time and worry into choosing the perfect fictional character names, and this blog post explains why.
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A Christmas for Virginia
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. A reprint of the famous 1897 Sun Newspaper editorial.
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Happy Thanksgiving
I just want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope this day, and the rest of your year, is filled with love, laughter, and more blessings than you can count. To help you celebrate, I’ve added one of my favorite Thanksgiving poems to this post.
