top of page
Search
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Sep 7, 20202 min read
17 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Sep 5, 20201 min read
4 views
0 comments
"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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Sep 3, 20201 min read
15 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Sep 2, 20201 min read
6 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 31, 20202 min read
31 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 28, 20205 min read
40 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 27, 20202 min read
8 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 26, 20201 min read
7 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 25, 20204 min read
15 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 24, 20202 min read
17 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 21, 20203 min read
17 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 20, 20201 min read
8 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 19, 20201 min read
6 views
0 comments
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....
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 18, 20202 min read
8 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 17, 20203 min read
6 views
0 comments
!["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_avif,quality_auto/a27d24_3aa81ef4a7894800b84a5d820177fa95~mv2.jpg)
"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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 14, 20202 min read
18 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 13, 20202 min read
6 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 12, 20201 min read
8 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 11, 20202 min read
6 views
0 comments
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...
Candice Bellows, The Story Engineer
Aug 10, 20202 min read
8 views
0 comments
THE STORY ENGINEER BLOG
bottom of page