writing – Page 4 – The Taming of the Muse

The Line

My piece for the weekly challenge over at the 100 Word Stories Podcast. Please check out the link to see the other stories, or to joy the challenge yourself. The Line Johnny Cash plays on the radio as we drive. The windows are down and warm summer air weaves through my hair as I leanContinue reading “The Line”

Pound

I recently started participating in the weekly 100 word story challenge from The 100 Word Stories Podcast. I’ll be posting my weekly entries here. They’ll be short and sweet, but I thought it would be fun to share them. The story has to be exactly 100 words, which is a new challenge for me andContinue reading “Pound”

When one isn’t enough.

My friends and family have probably gotten a little sick of me asking “How many women are in it?” when they recommend TV shows or movies to me. Trust me, I’m a little tired of it too. Why do I keep asking though? A several years ago I was introduced to the “Bechdel Test” by AlisonContinue reading “When one isn’t enough.”

And we begin again.

I spent a lot of 2015 figuring out the direction I wanted for my life. I actually started this blog about two years ago, but for the first year or so it laid dormant, until a friend of mine asked if I would write a guest blog for his website’s blog (Which has some amazing/inspirationalContinue reading “And we begin again.”

Writing about Mental Illness

Last spring I had the pleasure of working on a fan comic project that was intended to give the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) a bit of well-deserved redemption. Based on her portrayal over the last few decades, it is very likely that Wanda suffers from some form of mental illness, which directly effects her life,Continue reading “Writing about Mental Illness”

Writing Better Dialogue

We’ve all seen it at one time or another. The writing could be amazing, great descriptions, good plot, but then the characters start to talk…. And they are either wooden or awkward or they all sound alike. I believe even writers with a talent for dialogue would do well to go back and look atContinue reading “Writing Better Dialogue”

Being Concise vs. Being Descriptive

I actually don’t think that concise writing needs to be at odds with descriptive writing, but I often see writers who will add a lot of fluff to their writing. Usually this is for one or two reasons. They either want their writing to come off as poetic and full of flow, or they wantContinue reading “Being Concise vs. Being Descriptive”

Quieting your Inner Editor

In preparation for National Novel Writing Month, I wanted to write about something that serves as a struggle for most writers. The goal of NaNoWriMo is 50,000 words in a month and if you’re constantly rewriting words, it becomes quite difficult to make that count of 1,667 words a day. The problem most writers IContinue reading “Quieting your Inner Editor”

Show vs Tell: The oldest and most confusing advice in the book.

The first time I heard the words “Show don’t tell” I was in my first college creative writing class. The professor, a well meaning man with a masters degree in English, did not really elaborate beyond that. He did provide us with excellent reading and advice throughout the semester that I knew improved my writingContinue reading “Show vs Tell: The oldest and most confusing advice in the book.”

Getting ready for National Novel Writing Month

If you are a budding writer and finally want to get that book that’s been inside you on paper, now is the time! November will be here soon enough and it is known to many writers as NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. This will be my third year participating. Okay, that’s not completelyContinue reading “Getting ready for National Novel Writing Month”