Once upon a time, a workshop was considered a place where you did the work. Think of a carpenter’s workshop, with sawdust covering the tables and coils or scraps of wood littering the floors. Or consider Santa’s workshop, where elves engage in the cheery job of making toys for all the good little children of… Read more »
At the end of January, I pulled out an old notebook and started journaling. Eleven months and nine notebooks later, I have written something just about every day since then. (Okay, I’m not counting the week I was on vacation at the end of June. I gave myself a free pass on that. After all,… Read more »
Hey there, anglers. Imagine luring in your middle-grade readers from the get-go. I’m serious. You can do this. Today, we will dive into techniques that will captivate your young readers right from your first page. We all know too well that the opening page of your book is super important, and it’s especially crucial when… Read more »
If plot is the skin and bones of a story, then character is its beating heart. A story isn’t truly alive until the characters it is about are compelling and real, raw with want, and propelled by desires shaped by their past experiences. This is true in all genres, no less for thriller and horror… Read more »
I read essays with a cup of tea in one hand and a cream scone in the other. Ask me to write an essay, however, and my inner perfectionist (aka Ms. Prickleberry) balks, crosses her arms, and refuses to move words from my head to the page. I coax, plead, beg. She won’t budge until… Read more »
It may appear to be a tiny little mark, barely bigger than a period. YET, the usage or omission of a comma can make a huge difference in your meaning and maybe even your wallet. Let’s take a look at three times when a comma could have or did change the course of history. Tariff… Read more »
Yes. The answer is yes. I give you permission to be creative. If you’re looking for a sign, this is it. I grew up a few hours’ drive from cozy PEI, the crags and cliffs of Newfoundland, and the bustle and hustle of Halifax, Nova Scotia. People from this part of the world pride themselves… Read more »
Welcome, today is DIY MFA’s monthly Craft Jam. Once a month, Christa and I will be jamming about the craft. In these episodes, we’ll be doing a deep dive into various craft topics like character development, story structure, world building and more. This month’s episode is a deep dive into how to Nail Your Narration…. Read more »
Bouchercon is the annual world mystery convention, this year held in San Diego, California. Every conceivable form of mystery, suspense, and thriller novel, from teddy bear cozies to hard-boiled, and noir can be found here. This year’s convention brought together approximately seventeen hundred people for four and a half days of fun and crime at… Read more »
In Professor Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, The “Ainulindalë” or “Music of the Ainur” tells of the creation of the Universe. telling how the Ainur or “holy ones”, a class of angelic beings, perform songs and great music of Middle-earth prefiguring the creation of the material universe, Eä, including Middle-Earth. I don’t know if this ever crossed… Read more »
