BLOOD = KIND OF IMPORTANT
Over this past week, I've started donating plasma. Unlike when you donate blood, the machine takes out the blood, extracts the plasma...
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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...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Nov 19, 20201 min read
6 RESOURCES FOR FRESH FANTASY CREATURES
A lot of our stereotypical fantasy races/creatures come from European mythology and folklore, particularly Greek, English, and Norse:...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Nov 9, 20201 min read
THE ONLY 3 THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER IN CHARACTER NAMES
Today's post is partly inspired by one of my favorite Peanuts strips. I've silently (or not) echoed Lucy's thoughts more than once! There...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Oct 27, 20204 min read
WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PTSD
As writers, we put our characters through the wringer. Sometimes it happens "onscreen"; other times, it happens long before the book...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 17, 20203 min read
WRITING WHAT YOU *DON'T* KNOW
As writers, we're often advised to "write what you know." There's definitely value in that suggestion. Experience lends not only accuracy...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 11, 20202 min read
FINDING CREDIBLE SOURCES
In yesterday's post, I mentioned the importance of getting facts from credible sources. In today's climate of "alternative facts" and...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 10, 20202 min read
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?
The other day, someone posted this in one of the editors' Facebook groups I belong to: https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/12900993...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 3, 20203 min read
HOW (NOT TO) WRITE ABUSED CHARACTERS
Last night, I came across a great post on Pinterest (and now I can't find it!) that talked about a common mistake authors make when...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Jul 24, 20202 min read
DNA =/= SIMPLE AS "ABC"
About a year ago, I decided I wanted to know more about my genetic background. I took Ancestry.com's test and had to wait a few weeks for...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Jul 20, 20203 min read
A SURPRISING USE FOR A GPS
On Saturday, I ran out of a certain color of yarn for my latest crochet project. That color was no longer available at most stores, but...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Jul 14, 20202 min read
WRITE WHAT YOU(R HEART) KNOW(S)
Today is Bastille Day in France—roughly equivalent to Independence Day in the US. So, of course, all things French are on my mind. I...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Jun 4, 20203 min read
BEWARE OF FALSE DICHOTOMIES
A quote often misattributed to Aristotle (long story) says, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Jun 1, 20204 min read
WHAT COLORS ARE YOUR CHARACTERS?
I've mentioned The People Code in these posts before, but I don't think I've explained much about how we can use it to flesh out...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
May 29, 20203 min read
TRIGGER WARNINGS: YEA OR NAY?
It's funny how your opinions can change. A few years ago, I wholeheartedly believed that trigger warnings on content did more harm than...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
May 26, 20206 min read
WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LOWER-LEG INJURIES
Not my foot, but similar to what mine looked like after surgery In the writing world, I occasionally see articles such as "What Writers...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Apr 29, 20202 min read
THE WEIRD THINGS YOU HAVE TO GOOGLE
I live in the basement of my house. For the last few nights, I've been hearing some weird noises: scratching, rustling, small thumps,...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Apr 23, 20201 min read
HOW WELL CAN YOU EXPECT YOUR BOOK TO SELL?
Last night, I was doing some research about how well sequel books sell compared to originals. There's a surprising lack of information...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Apr 20, 20202 min read
WHAT'S THE WORD?
Has this kind of thing ever happened to you? https://www.pinterest.com/pin/483433341224769205/ Embarrassing, right? Besides the misused...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Apr 17, 20203 min read
WHEN WHACKING CHARACTERS ON THE HEAD . . .
As you might have guessed by now, I may have done one or two silly things in my life. Thankfully, some of them have helped lead me to...
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