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In case you missed it, you can find the other three entries here: the beginning, inspiration and outline. Now we’re looking at characters. For me, characters are where the story really comes alive. The better I know my imaginary friends, the better the story works. There’s a lot of advice on how to get to…
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Ah, outlining. How you are so controversial! There are three kinds of authors: The Plotter, The Pantser and The Plantser. Fear not, I will explain these terms. The Plotter: these folks write a dedicated outline, to one degree or another. Some have a rough map of big plot points, like a one page synopsis that…
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So, back in this post, I said I’d boiled down my writing process into three points when drafting a new novel: inspiration, outline, and characters. For me, everything starts with an idea. This can be something from a headline, a day dream, a bit of conversation overheard while waiting in line at the grocery store.…
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Being an author can be an awkward life. There’s so much work that happens long before you can point to an actual book for sale that I’ve considered claiming a career in something more straightforward, like being an international spy or llama psychologist. How do you explain the journey of writing a novel? “Well, I…
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The progress on the current novel or WIP (Work In Progress) aka ms (short for manuscript) continues. Sort of. I’ve handed in the most recent round of revisions, and now will find something else to do until I hear back from my agent. For me, I’m gonna hang out with the Minions, probably watch a…
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I often describe our family as the not-wealthy, Canadian version of the Addams family. It’s a short form that most folks instantly understand, and is more accurate than anything else I’ve been able to come up with. I genuinely wish we had the house, to be honest. There’s something about the Victorian style houses that…
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That’s probably the big news, having a birthday. Wheee! Many thanks to my family, for making it a memorable day. Lovely gifts, and plans to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower one evening this week. In celebration (or acknowledgement) of the occasion, I’m setting some goals for the next year. Goals Before my next birthday, I…
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This is a follow-up to a previous post, found here As I mentioned before, I’m normally a ‘pantser.’ Someone who has a vague, hazy idea of how the book might go, and discovers the whole of it during the writing. A process I love, by the way. No shade on pantsers. I just had this…
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Maybe it’s my anxiety squirrels having a moment, but is there a good way to call up, say, the local police or fire department to ask questions about how to plot a crime? It can be really hard to find accurate information sometimes without sending up some concerning flags. Telling them, “I swear, I’m an…
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I’m not as active on social media as I could (probably should) be. I pop in and out like a demented jack-in-the-box because my energy levels vary wildly… and because life has forced my feral house goblin self to be social for the last two weeks and *gasp* leave the house. That said, I’ve heard…
Melissa Charles author 