St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17. When going to school, I would always find something green to wear on this special day. I really didn’t want to be pinched, and if I failed to wear green, the inevitable happened. Who was St. Patrick, and what does green have to do with this day? St.…
Author Interviews, Fiction Writing
Lynn Cullen Interview – Sofonisba Anguissola, Juana the Mad, and Historical Fiction
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• •What was it about Sofonisba Anguissola and Juana the Mad that caught this author’s attention? What did she do to learn more about these two fascinating women? How old was this author when she began to write? How supportive is her family of her writing? What advice does she have for aspiring authors? Sofonisba Anguissola…
Book Reviews, Fiction Writing
Reign of Madness – a Review
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• •Every little girl dreams that one day her prince will come and sweep her off her feet. After all, Cinderella and Snow White were each rescued from their dreary existence by a prince, and they lived happily ever after. But does this ever happen in real life? Meet Juana of Castile. In many history books,…
Fiction Writing, Phobias, Saint Patrick's Day & Other March Articles, Writing Prompts and Exercises
Leprechaunophobia – the Fear of Leprechauns
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• •Fiction Writing, Writing
How to Write Believable Dialogue
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• •What exactly is dialogue? It is simply a conversation between two or more characters. Nothing fancy, just a conversation. But the mere mention or thought of dialogue scares a lot of writers who will do just about anything to avoid it. The fear of writing dialogue must be conquered. We practice dialogue every time we…
Fiction Writing, Grammar & Punctuation, Words
Dialogue Tags
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• •Book Reviews, Fiction Writing
Colorstrology: What Your Birthday Color Says About You – a Review
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• •Have you ever wondered what your own special color was? What about the characters you create when writing fiction? Would you like to assign each one a special color that can be used to describe their personality and affect their actions? Astrology is not a science. It is a study that assumes and attempts to…
Fiction Writing, Grammar & Punctuation
The Classy Colon & the Sassy Semicolon
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• •I must not have been paying attention during English class when we were learning about the colon. I have discovered that it is one busy little punctuation mark with several different jobs. At first look, all of the things the colon does can be a bit confusing. Once you read about all this classy punctuation…
Fiction Writing, Holidays, Writing Prompts and Exercises
Barbie Day, Panic Day, and Other Unusual Holidays
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• •Do you prefer to write mysteries or romances, thrillers or fantasies, science fiction or historical fiction? Whatever genre you prefer to write in, I’m sure you can find a way to include one of these unusual holidays that occur on March 9 to add a bit of something different to your story. Do you own…
Book Reviews, Fiction Writing
The Creation of Eve – a Review
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• •The Creation of Eve takes you on a journey to the Spanish court and the world of painting during the Renaissance. Imagine being a young girl who loves to paint. Now imagine living in a time when it is not appropriate for girls to be painters. Sofonisba lives in Renaissance Italy during the 1500s. Painting,…