Tag Archives: magical words

A Quick-Tip Tuesday Post on Writing Communities

Posted on June 14, 2016 by dbjackson

Writing can be a lonely profession. We often work on our own, toiling alone for hours at a time, sending our work into what can feel like a marketplace vacuum, and waiting for feedback that can be hurtful, even brutal. … Continue reading →

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A Quick-Tip Tuesday Post on Self-Editing!

Posted on May 31, 2016 by dbjackson

I’ve noticed an incredible amount of extra verbiage in my early books — filler, if you will: superfluous words that add little to the storytelling, but clutter up my prose. For the wordiness-intolerant, these words are as unwelcome as, well, … Continue reading →

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A Quick-Tip Tuesday Post on Travel and Narrative

Posted on May 17, 2016 by dbjackson

We never know when we’re going to draw upon experiences in our lives, be it for setting or character, plot or emotional content, dialog or action or romance or any of the myriad other narrative elements that come, at least … Continue reading →

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Release Day Quick-Tip Tuesday Post!

Posted on May 3, 2016 by dbjackson

So I’m going to push myself to achieve my goals. I’ll do everything I can to make my ambitions come to fruition. And I’ll dream a little. Because here’s the thing: Dreams can’t come true if I don’t push myself … Continue reading →

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Quick-Tip Tuesday Is Back, with Ro Laren!

Posted on April 19, 2016 by dbjackson

But simply adding a character isn’t always enough. Sure, a love interest can spice things up, or a new villain can ratchet up the tension. But sometimes what a story needs is both more subtle than those options, and also … Continue reading →

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Quick-Tip Tuesday: Going Back to Our Old Work

Posted on April 5, 2016 by dbjackson

I owe an apology to all of you. Seriously. To every person I have critiqued at a Live Action Slush, to every student whose manuscript I’ve marked up, to every aspiring writer I’ve advised with arrogant confidence, I am truly … Continue reading →

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Quick-Tip Tuesday Looks at Goals and Realism

Posted on March 22, 2016 by dbjackson

The writing profession throws plenty of trials our way; we shouldn’t pile on with unrealistic goals that we can’t possibly meet. And the great thing about making writing a part of your regular routine is that you don’t have to … Continue reading →

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Quick-Tip Tuesday: Writing Every Day, or Not, or Yeah

Posted on March 8, 2016 by dbjackson

There is a sort of alchemy that takes place when we manage to convert our own emotions into the different-but-related emotions of our characters. Spinning gold from that straw carried me through my grief. Had I given in to the … Continue reading →

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It’s Quick-Tip Tuesday: Take the Challenge!

Posted on February 23, 2016 by dbjackson

Quite often, what separates the professionals from those who only aspire to the profession is not talent or even luck, but rather the willingness to risk rejection. If you send out a story it might be sent back, or it … Continue reading →

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Quick-Tip Tuesday: Being Scooped . . . Or Not

Posted on February 9, 2016 by dbjackson

We as authors have enough to worry about in this business as it is — the market is tough, writing good novels and short fiction is no easy task, finding time amid work and family to do all we want … Continue reading →

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