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Putting Your Truth in Your Fiction

Julie Feb 28 2019
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Writing Life

In October 2016, I began working up the idea for a new story. It involved a dangerous race that started with the contestants entering into drug-induced amnesia. As you can imagine, memory loss was a big part of the story. Fast-forward to January 2017. My parents moved back to Pennsylvania from South Carolina because my father needed extra help caring for his wife. Although I knew my stepmom was having issues, it wasn’t until I […]

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Working On Multiple Projects

Jules Feb 15 2019
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Industry Life, Writers Toolbox, Writing Life

I’ve never been the kind of writer who writes best with multiple projects cooking at once. Some of my friends are at their happiest and most productive when juggling at least two different stories simultaneously, but I prefer to work on only one book at a time. Once I get that book to the end of whatever stage it’s at, whether it’s drafting, big-picture revisions, or line edits, and I’m waiting on feedback, that’s when I […]

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Back to the Basics

Aminah Mae Feb 13 2019
Posted in:
Inspiration, Writing Life

As some of you might know, I’m into boxing (the kind where you punch things). As some of you might not know, I’ve been coming back from an injury recently. I’ve been doing a lot of physical therapy— lots of stretching, lots of small and methodical movements, lots of careful placement of my body as I do activities that I’ve been training to do for quite a while. I promise this has to do with […]

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A New Method for Antagonists

Scott Feb 6 2019
Posted in:
Beginner Resources, Writers Toolbox, Writing Life

I’ve had the pleasure over the past few summers to teach at Duke Young Writers’ Camp. One of my favorite courses was a Dark Fiction class for middle grade students. It was an opportunity to walk young writers through fiction that really pushes the boundaries. Unsurprisingly, many of my young writers go a little too far. One infamous story featured a villainous assassin targeting a list of grandmothers. It was a great opportunity to talk […]

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Know thyself, and hit your deadlines

Sarah Jan 31 2019
Posted in:
Writing Life

So, deadlines. I can almost hear ominous music in my head as I type that word. They are a constant fact of life for the professional writer. They are crucial to keep everything running on schedule. And, to tell the truth, they suck. Writing a book isn’t like the due dates for homework and school projects that we grew up with, or the quick turnarounds for various tasks often required at our jobs. It isn’t […]

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