I MUSTACHE HOW YOU'D DEAL WITH THIS
When I was a teenager, my family regularly vacationed in Door County, Wisconsin. One of the favorite activities for the parents and older...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Sep 5, 20201 min read
A REASON FOR THE EXPENSE OF EDITING
I found this in an editors' group on Facebook recently. If you've ever wondered why editors charge so much, this is a major reason. Write...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Sep 3, 20201 min read
"GUARANTEED," EH?
Not long ago, an author sent me a message that read, in part, as follows (edited for clarity): "The consensus is: nobody can guarantee a...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Sep 2, 20201 min read
WRITING-PROMPT WEDNESDAY: FAME IS A FUNNY THING
If you think about it, fame is kind of a strange phenomenon. Lots of people know about you for something you did. That something could be...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 31, 20202 min read
THINKING ABOUT WRITING A SEQUEL? TRY THIS UNUSUAL TOOL
A couple of months ago, one of my Facebook friends shared a link that allowed you to get the computer game Civilization VI for free as...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 28, 20205 min read
1 COMMON MISTAKE AUTHORS MAKE WITH INCLUSIVITY (AND 4 WAYS TO AVOID MAKING IT)
The other day, I saw a section on a job application in which applicants could voluntarily disclose whether they had a disability. I've...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 27, 20202 min read
WE CAN DO BETTER THAN "WHATCHAMACALLIT"
Between my junior and senior years of high school, I went with my mom and my brother "T" to St. Petersburg, Russia, for a week to visit...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 26, 20201 min read
WRITING-PROMPT WEDNESDAY: MINIMALISM ON STEROIDS
A few years ago, my friend "E" wrote a blog post about minimalism. She said she wanted to reduce the amount of stuff she had until she...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 25, 20204 min read
CHICK-FIL-A EN FLAMBÉ
I love Chick-fil-A, but no one can deny that it's pricey. However, I found a copycat recipe for their chicken sandwich online, so a few...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 24, 20202 min read
DEFINE "AMBIGUOUS," PART 2
Lord Viren, the main antagonist of The Dragon Prince (image from https://dragonprince.fandom.com/wiki/Viren?file=Viren_Official.png) When...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 21, 20203 min read
DEFINE "AMBIGUOUS," PART 1
A few weeks ago, I finally watched a show that my siblings have been talking about for a while: The Dragon Prince. I really liked it and...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 20, 20201 min read
A MEME-MONIC DEVICE
We've all probably used mnemonic devices at some point in our lives. Whether it was "Every Good Boy Does Fine" and "FACE" in music class...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 19, 20201 min read
WRITING-PROMPT WEDNESDAY: FLASH-FICTION-ING CLASSICS
The other day, one of my LinkedIn contacts and I got into a discussion about Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Neither of us was a big fan...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 18, 20202 min read
MAKING THE EPIC RELATABLE
I think all great pieces of art have two things in common: They make you think, feel something, learn something, or all of the above....
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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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!["THE COURSE OF TRUE [WRITING] NEVER DID RUN SMOOTH"](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_3aa81ef4a7894800b84a5d820177fa95~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1280,h_961,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a27d24_3aa81ef4a7894800b84a5d820177fa95~mv2.jpg)
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...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 13, 20202 min read
AVOIDING EYE-COLOR SWITCHES AND OTHER DIFFICULTIES
Have you ever read a piece in which the author dropped in an unfamiliar acronym without explaining what it stood for? Or have you ever...
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Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 12, 20201 min read
WRITING-PROMPT WEDNESDAY: OH, WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE SUMMERTIME?
I come from a family in which anything is an excuse to spontaneously burst into song. Among the many songs I learned as a child was the...
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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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