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While I’m Sleeping….
Indulge me a moment. I’ve got to add to Sabina’s sentiments and to the gratitude that Liz expressed in her recent post. This is the “little elves” version of a critique group. Do you know Grimm’s fairy...
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Rest, Reflect, and Wait Now. Revise Later.
As the Scriva who is the first to offer a post here for 2015, I suppose it would make sense to talk about new beginnings and resolutions. If you’re looking for that, here’s a link to a thoughtful post...
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Taking a Chapter Break
Shelves in progress. Only waiting for the window seat. This fall, I built a wall-to-wall shelving unit for my office/studio. Complete with power tools, pocket-hole joints, european hinges, doors,...
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Plagiarize, Plagiarize, Plagiarize!
With credit to Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) PLAGIARIZE! Now that I have I caught your attention, let’s clarify. I do not want you to take someone else’s work and pass it off as your own. Nope. Not...
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The Attack of the Brain Snatchers
Here it is, folks, in black and white, like this sign I saw in a store window a block from my writer’s garret. I confess to you that my dream as a writer is to control your mind. While you are reading...
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REVISING SCENES
While revising my middle-grade novel April Fool, I have found Donald Maass’ THE FIRE IN FICTION to be enormously helpful. The whole book is terrific, but I’ve been focused on Chapter 3: Scenes that...
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The Problem with “Butt in the Chair”
I’ve heard at least dozen writers talking about overcoming writers’ block with one simple rule: Sit your butt in the chair. I have two problems with this advice. First of all, I don’t really get...
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Present to Past Tense
Ah, the tense tango continues. You may remember in an earlier post how I rewrote my nonfiction picture book manuscript called THE MUSIC OF LIFE: BARTOLOMEO CRISTOFORI AND THE INVENTION OF THE PIANO...
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How to Deal with a Huge Pile of Comments
Have you ever felt buried under a pile of manuscripts comments? My two critique groups generously agreed to read my whole middle-grade novel April Fool. So I had 10 copies printed and mailed them off....
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Pushing Beyond What We Think We Can Do
Writing–at least Scriva-style writing–is NOT about playing it safe. We push each other to go deeper, to cross boundaries, and to trust in the story to carry its own weight. Pushing beyond is about...
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