Michael E. Dellert's Blog, page 26
January 12, 2017
Happy Birthday to the Hedge King! #Bookiversary
Today is the one year anniversary of Hedge King in Winter. Yes, believe it or not, one year ago today, my first fantasy novella, Hedge King in Winter, saw the light of day as a commercial publication. It was a…
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January 11, 2017
#13WeekRewrite: Week One, The New Outline
So you’ve finished your first draft. You’ve let it sit in a drawer for a few weeks. You’ve enjoyed your holidays, made your New Year’s Resolution, and had a thought about the revision process in general, what storytelling is really…
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January 4, 2017
Revision and Technique
Before beginning a revision project, it’s important to consider several technical matters. Just as important is to keep in mind that these aren’t rules, but principles that will encourage you to make informed choices about your work. For every suggestion…
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December 28, 2016
Revision and the Art of Structure
Reasonably enough, you’re a writer who wants to do “your own thing.” You want to write the story you want to write, and you want it to be as long as it needs to be. You want to ride the…
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December 21, 2016
Seven Maxims of Storytelling, Part Two
Last week, I shared the first four of my seven maxims of storytelling, advice I take with me into my rewriting projects. Today, I share the remaining three. But before we dig in, let’s review the relationship between your heroine…
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December 14, 2016
Seven Maxims of Storytelling, Part One
“First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!” — Ray Bradbury Plight: The Source of Your Story At the heart of every story lies a plight. Notice that it’s not a question. Your protagonist has a plight.…
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December 7, 2016
Rewriting: An Overview of the Process
“It is perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly.” — C. J. Cherryh The goal of the rewrite is simple, but not easy. You want your story to live. To accomplish this, it’s helpful to have a…
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November 30, 2016
NaNoWriMo 2016: A Retrospective
3 Days, 3 Quotes Because trying to write a 65,000 word NaNoWriMo novel in 30 days isn’t enough, a writing colleague of mine, Jean Lee, nominated me for the “3 Days, 3 Quotes” challenge last week. So before we get…
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November 24, 2016
NaNoWriMo: Thanksgiving Update – How Do I Write My Ending?
I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. — Henry David Thoreau I’ll be honest, 2016 has been a mixed bag. On the one hand, we’ve lost so many cultural icons, from David Bowie to…
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November 17, 2016
NaNoWriMo: Day Seventeen Update – Story Isn’t Linear
NaNoWriMo 2016: Life is nothing if not unpredictable. Ugh… Ok. Life threw me a curve ball. So much for outlines. So much for schedules and daily word counts. For the last ten years, I’ve been the proud companion to a…
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