Michael E. Dellert's Blog, page 28

Four Tips for Writing across Genders

Can I write a young, smart, resourceful female character that does justice to a whole suite of gender concerns that aren’t “natural” to me by birth and upbringing? The “golden rule” of writing is: write what you know. The relative…
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The Excitement Never Ends: Four Secrets to Better Motivation

How does one rekindle that excitement one feels in one’s work? How does one revive one’s motivation? Being a professional writer is about more than just writing. It’s about connecting with readers, sharing one’s work, putting it “out there” for…
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Twenty Ways to Build Character

Do your homework. Writing is a hell of a tough racket, and if you’re lazy about it, it will defeat you so fast it’ll make your head spin. So before you type Chapter One into that virginal word processor page—and…
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New Feminist Science Fiction Series Appeals to Readers of All Ages

Like most kids her age, seven-year-old Cheobawn spends most of her day lost in her own world, imagining ways to defy her parents. Unfortunately her parents are a coven of mind-reading, gene-splicing priestesses intent on building a futuristic Utopia on…
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Fantasy Doesn’t Mean Kid-Lit: Spotlight on C.L. Schneider

Last week, I announced that I’d be exhibiting my Matter of Manred Saga at Newark Comic Con 2016 and talked at some length about all the things I felt I had to do to be prepared for my first ever…
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Look, Up in the Sky! It’s Newark Comic Con 2016!

So, this happened. I decided to stop stalling and do my first public in-person author event: I’ll be exhibiting the Matter of Manred Saga at Newark Comic Con 2016, Saturday August 20 on the Waterfront in historic Newark NJ! Yes,…
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The Thirteenth Question with Andy Peloquin

Andy Peloquin—a third culture kid to the core—has loved to read since before he could remember. Sherlock Holmes, the Phantom of the Opera, and Father Brown are just a few of the books that ensnared his imagination as a child.…
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The When and Where of Setting

Nothing anchors a reader more solidly in a work of fiction than knowing the when and where of whatever is taking place. Setting provides a home-base for everything else that happens in your story or novel. More importantly, the when…
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Eight Ways to Strategic Storytelling

Today, we’re going to take a general look at strategic storytelling, or how popular narrative fiction works. The goal is to find a clearer picture of the general form and strategy of long fiction, but along the way, we’ll touch…
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You Promised Me Forever: Spotlight on Lizabeth Scott

As always on this blog, I try to bring you news and information that will help you build your own author platform and achieve your dreams of indie publishing success. Today, I’m honored to shine a spotlight on Lizabeth Scott,…
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