I want to try something with this blog and my writing career. Many writers like to give advice. Hell, I like giving advice, especially on writing, but if I\’m honest with myself, my writing advice isn\’t always suitable for everyone and maybe not anyone, but I like doing it so…
As a child, my parents called me ambitious. My classmates called me informative, and teachers called me creative. Personally, I think of myself as someone with a purpose. What is that purpose? Creating a world worth living in. What is the best way for me to do this? Well, I\’m…
Over the past five years, I have worked on the same damn book. An earlier version of the book had been published, but I thought it needed to be expanded upon. By the time I was finished, I had written forty chapters, and I\’m currently working on a second book.…
You got to love migraines; they come when unexpected, especially while you are trying to be a writer. Nothing is worse than having a pounding headache, unable to see, inability to focus, and yet your mind keeps going back to your writing project. Writing with migraines is a bitch. So,…
A subordinating conjunction is a group of words connecting each other or a phrase called a conjunction that introduces a dependent clause, joining it to a main clause. Subordinating conjunctions go with dependent clauses used to redefine or change the focal point of a sentence. Now you know what a subordinating…
Dialogue tags are words which refer dialogue to a specific character. “Said” and “asked” are two common examples of dialogue tags. “I won’t help her!” said Christina. Dialogue tags are an important aspect of writing. When scenes have several characters, they help determine which character is speaking. Novice writers use…
I don’t want my daughter’s thinking they need to get married. I don’t want them to think they need a partner to define who they are. I also don’t want them thinking they need to have kids in order to fulfill their womanhood. Marriage and childbirth should always be an…
There are 3 parts to a scene and 3 parts to a sequel before you venture back into a new scene and begin with a new goal. This is the emotional progression of a scene and sequel that every delightful story should follow. Scene: Goal: Every scene should seek out the…
There are five types of writing; narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, and creative. These four writing types can overlap each other, and each one has a different purpose. Narrative Writing: This writing recounts personal experiences as a story and always includes characters, a setting, and a plot. An example would be…
It’s important to understand your character. The more you understand your character, the easier it will be to write the story. I have listed a few questions to ask about your character. If you’re using Scrivener, you can add this to your character folder and save it in one of…
Good characteristics can be interchanged with character flaws. They help build a character, strengthen the story, create conflict, and move the story along. There will be clickable links with each of these good character traits, and this is a continuing list. Please bookmark this list on Pinterest or on your…
If a site isn’t getting traffic, it’s not going to make you money. People can’t see a site if it’s not put in front of them, or if they see the main page but aren’t clicking beyond it then they aren’t seeing the sites full potential. What it they’re shown…
I have written plenty of articles which I had to research first, but I also know I write my best when I know everything on the subject first. When I know little about the subject, it takes longer to compile the research and write the article. While researching what makes a…
My right click on the mouse went out on me and I cannot work without it. I used it for many things. One of my primary reasons for using it is the power to open links in a new tab. I am a tab whore; I do research with many…
I hate those romantic comedies that have the damsel in distress who so helplessly falls into the arms of some trusted cute guy and they romantically fall in love. Pshh! That doesn’t happen in life. We aren’t living in a damn movie. If this was the case, I would fall…
Thirty was so strange for me. I have really had to come to terms with the fact that I am now a walking and talking adult. -C.S. Lewis (Marati, 2012) Nothing in Life is as It Seems This was one of the hardest things for me to realize. I saw everything…
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu Consider the above quote from Lao Tzu, (perhaps mythical) father of Taoism: how can it be true? Is it possible not to hurry, but to get everything done? It seems contradictory to our modern world, where everything is a rush…
Books that Help, Online Writing / Blogging Online, Short Stories, Social Media Marketing January 5, 2015R.D. HayesLeave a comment Oh man I really hope you read this. I am a single mother who can’t work a regular job due to basilar migraines. I have worked many jobs and have been let go time…
“With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson The idea of having concrete, achievable goals seem deeply ingrained in our culture. I know I lived with setting goals for many years, and in fact a big part of my writings. These…
It isn’t just keywords that you must focus on, you need to create great site content that you visitors are going read, to use, and share. These three things will make up great site content. Great Site Content That is Readable: Readable content is easy to read and it content…