Inspirational

Dec 8, 20202 min read

GRUBHUB LESSONS STRIKE AGAIN

Apparently Mondays and Grubhub don't mix. At least for me! Last night, I got an order shortly before the end of my shift. When I got to...

17 views0 comments

14 CLICHÉ-BUSTING FANTASY NOVELS AND SERIES

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Nov 20, 20201 min read

14 CLICHÉ-BUSTING FANTASY NOVELS AND SERIES

After all our exploration of fantasy this week, you might reasonably ask, "Well, are there any fantasy writers who break the stereotypes...

15 views0 comments

WRITING-PROMPT WEDNESDAY: VETERAN STORIES

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Nov 11, 20201 min read

WRITING-PROMPT WEDNESDAY: VETERAN STORIES

Ironically for someone who makes her living with words, I've been realizing lately that I have a hard time expressing myself about...

8 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Nov 10, 20202 min read

FEED YOUR WRITER SOUL

Last week, my therapist and I were discussing self-care. I had a hard time thinking of what I'd actually been doing for self-care, and it...

11 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Nov 6, 20201 min read

FIND THE FUNNY

While trawling Facebook today, I came across this apt comment: 😂 Now I have to wonder who on earth would accept ballots as stakes. . . ....

14 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Oct 16, 20202 min read

WHAT IS LOVE? PART 1

As promised, today we'll start looking at aspects of healthy romantic relationships so we can portray them accurately in our writing. Of...

11 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Oct 2, 20203 min read

I'M PROUD OF YOU

Lately, I've been tutoring a high schooler named "Q" in English. The more I work with him, the more I realize that English is one of the...

17 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Sep 29, 20201 min read

THIS ONE'S FOR THE GOOFS

When I was about seventeen, I wrote a spoof of Treasure Island. The general idea was for it to be a short film, but that never happened....

19 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Sep 16, 20201 min read

WRITING-PROMPT WEDNESDAY: HOPE

Is anyone else ready to get off this roller coaster that calls itself 2020? (Frankly, I've been on a roller coaster since about 2013....

7 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Sep 14, 20202 min read

DID YOU MISS ME?

It's been a whirlwind last week or so. I found myself having to move on about three days' notice, so you can imagine how much FUN that...

11 views0 comments

"THE COURSE OF TRUE [WRITING] NEVER DID RUN SMOOTH"

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Aug 14, 20202 min read

"THE COURSE OF TRUE [WRITING] NEVER DID RUN SMOOTH"

When I moved into my new place in Colorado Springs, I was surprised to discover something just a few miles down the highway: the US Air...

18 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Aug 6, 20202 min read

OUCH!

Last week, a now-ex-subscriber took issue with something I'd put in one of my emails/posts. According to him, "[Tolkien] was altogether...

7 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Jul 31, 20201 min read

LET'S MAKE SOME MAGIC

On Sunday, I was watching the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square's broadcast for Independence Day 2018. It was filmed starting at dusk,...

4 views0 comments

CUTTING SALEM (AND OURSELVES) SOME SLACK

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Jul 7, 20202 min read

CUTTING SALEM (AND OURSELVES) SOME SLACK

Last night, I watched another episode of Secrets of the Dead. #quarantinesociallife #orlackthereof #historynerd This episode was about...

4 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Jul 3, 20201 min read

THE SWORD BEHIND THE PEN

With tomorrow being Independence Day in the US, things like freedom are on my mind and heart. Today, I'm particularly thankful for the...

4 views0 comments

WE INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED POST FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Jun 24, 20201 min read

WE INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED POST FOR AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

So . . . this happened today. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1029374 I published my first book! Granted, I've edited other...

7 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

Jun 5, 20201 min read

"THE BOYS OF POINTE DU HOC"

Tomorrow is the seventy-sixth anniversary of D-Day. If you're not familiar with the term, it's the name commonly given to the massive...

7 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

May 18, 20203 min read

FEAR IS OKAY

On Saturday, I went hiking at North Table Mountain Park near Golden, about thirty minutes from Denver. Apparently I need to update my...

4 views0 comments

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

May 5, 20202 min read

FAST IS OVERRATED

Last week was the third anniversary of my Lisfranc injury. For most people, a broken bone is a six-to-eight-week experience from injury...

5 views0 comments

"YOU'VE TAKEN YOUR FIRST STEP INTO A LARGER WORLD"

Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer

May 4, 20203 min read

"YOU'VE TAKEN YOUR FIRST STEP INTO A LARGER WORLD"

Happy Star Wars Day! In honor of the occasion, I'm listening to the soundtracks in the background as I write this email. 🔦 (Apparently...

4 views0 comments

THE STORY ENGINEER BLOG