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Dazzling Dialogue—Part VI
Posted on February 7, 2018 Leave a Comment
Change it up. Do something different. Be true to the POV character and who they are interacting with. Sometimes, life hits us with the unexpected. Put that in your dialogue. At times, something comes out of left field. We’ve never thought of it that way before. Insert these techniques into your dialogue to make the […]
Dazzling Dialogue—Part V
Posted on January 31, 2018 Leave a Comment
The character’s vocabulary should be unique to each one. What kind of expressions do they use? Do they have an accent? Are there “favorite” words they like to use? Their syntax. All these things come together to create dazzling and sparkling dialogue. Click to Tweet #dazzlingdialogue #amwriting
Finding Time in the ‘Busy’ –– Part II
Posted on November 21, 2017 Leave a Comment
Sometimes, you just have to say, “No.” As I get older, I’ve noticed that I need downtime in the midst of my ‘busy.’ Even if I’m attending a conference, I’ll choose to not attend a session or two––just to get a break. It helps. #findingtimeinthebusy #caringforothers
Writing Romance 101––Part I
Posted on August 16, 2017 3 Comments
So, you think you want to write a romance? It’s a great genre. We all love fairy tales where the prince and the princess live happily ever after, right? That’s probably where romance got its start. A story with a happy ending, where guy meets girl. They get together. Live happy. Click to Tweet #amwriting […]
Good News for “Meghan’s Choice”
Posted on February 16, 2017 5 Comments
I’m excited to announce that later this year, my novel, “Meghan’s Choice” will finally be published. Through the literary agency I signed with, I will be self-publishing Meghan’s Choice. Stay tuned here for more information. It’s been a l-o-n-g struggle. I got the idea for the novel five years ago. I wrote the first draft […]
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part VI
Posted on February 15, 2017 Leave a Comment
When creating a story, we’re encouraged to create a “backstory” for each of the main characters. This is what’s happened to the character before the story begins, and affects how that character behaves. But don’t confuse character “history” to “backstory.” Use only what backstory is necessary to the story now. Click to Tweet #amwriting #storyfixing
APD Part IV––Horrendous Miss J
Posted on February 14, 2017 Leave a Comment
What do you do when your teacher wants to be popular with her students to the degree that she persecutes you? Just because she saw them do it. In my case, my parents had to get involved. Teachers should never side with a group of students to bully or persecute another student. Click to Tweet […]
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part V
Posted on February 8, 2017 Leave a Comment
This week, we’ll talk about escalation and how to fix some issues having to do with get the snowball down the mountain. It’s picking up speed, gaining momentum, and it will eventually become an avalanche. This is what needs to happen with your story. Click to Tweet #amwriting #storyfixing
APD Part III––Rusty Tin Can
Posted on February 7, 2017 Leave a Comment
You’ve heard the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” How I wish that were true. We say that to ourselves to try to protect our hearts from being hurt, but the truth is, negative and hurtful words wound. Click to Tweet #amwriting #rejection #APD
Story-fixing Your Novel––Part V
Posted on January 25, 2017 Leave a Comment
Villains. Scoundrels. Antiheroes. Adversaries. Mwmah ha ha! Every story needs an antagonist. Click to Tweet #amwriting #story-fixing
Donna L.H. Smith 