What’s in a Name? A Lot.

Most of us are familiar with the German fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin. If you're unfamiliar with it, you can read up on him here, here, or even here. Fast-forwarding to the end of the fairy tale, the once upon a time peasant Queen is triumphant because discovering his titular name is what seals his fate. The …

Haikubes – April 15th, 2020

As a child I love, love, LOVED ladybugs . . . and still do! And yes indeed they do come in many other shades besides the typical red with white polka-dots, but that particular color combination is so iconic! 😀 Theme and Direction A reflection on . . . my childhood Cerise with white dots …

Enter the Dragon: The Art of Beating the Sh*t Out of Your Characters

My toddlers and I love using our imaginations when playing with Little People action figures and Beanie Babies. However, I think my five-year-old has more fun messing with the carefully created plots that I craft for our playtime. For example, I enjoy the mundane story with generic problems while playing with my kiddos. It's typically …

10 Simple Rules for Writing That You MUST Follow!

A couple of days ago, I shared that exercise is one of the most important things one can do to stay healthy and if you're a writer this is especially true! This "rule" or "tip" is one of ten that I learned from a fellow writer. 10 Rules for Writing Exercise daily! Mix with people …

Quotes to Write By – Day 29 What’s In a Name? More Than You Think!

Disclaimer: The following analysis of characters and their names are solely my opinion and conclusions I've drawn from being a wordsmith, character creator, and a lover of names. Juliet, from the play, Romeo and Juliet, speaks this famous line. She argues that it doesn't matter that the young man Romeo whom she loves is a …

Quotes to Write By – Day 23 Writer vs Author?

Quote #23 "Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it." Sidonie Gabrielle Based on this quote, I want to be an author. Other differences between what makes an …

Quotes to Write By – Day 22

So far, I've written the first five chapters (one chapter behind) of Moondust. And so far, all of the ideas that I've created and outlined seem to fit well. They seem to make sense, heighten tension, and flesh out the characters. Of course when I've completed this first draft that may change. And that's okay. …

Quotes to Write By – Day 10

Oh oh! I was so exhausted yesterday that I was unable to post! So, without further ado . . . here is TODAY'S (well, yesterday's quote that I'm giving today) QUOTE! 🙂 Quote #10 "A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing." Eugène Ionesco I love …

Quotes to Write By – Day 9

Today's quote comes from poet and author, Maya Angelou. When I was a little girl and won my first writing competition at the age of seven, I didn't think I could become a famous author or even published until I grew older and read books written by other people of color. In fact, I never …