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  • Cole Matthews

    Arts and Crafts - Character-istics

    By Cole Matthews

    What elements make for a believable character?  What can writers add that aids in the complete and utter suspension of disbelief?  Lots of thing come to mind like quirks, back stories, associations, inner thoughts, tribulations - and the list goes on and on.  However, something many authors have done with beloved recurring characters is to give them hobbies.  Certainly Sherlock Holmes had several and varied 'pursuits'.  Agatha Christie had Miss Marple constantly knitting.  Let's try rounding out
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Genre Deep Dives

Science Fiction Deep Dive

Sci-fiction sub-genres explore the possibilities of what might be generally through the power of technology.  There are certain sub-genres of science-fiction that have some very strong tropes that you must follow (The tropes themselves define the sub-genre).  Be aware of them when tagging your stories.   Sub-genres: Apocalyptic and Post-apocalyptic, Cyberpunk/Tech Noir, Dystopian, Hard Science Fiction, Libertarian Sci-Fi, Military Sci-Fi, Science Fantasy, Soft Sci-Fi, Space Opera,
Myr

Myr in Genre Deep Dives

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Reviews

Featured Story: Aunt May’s Magic

It is the time of the month for another spectacular review from our Review Team. This month @spike382 gave us the review.   Aunt May's Magic by Mancunian Reviewer: spike382 Status: Complete Word Count: 3,008   I was actually having quite a debate with myself about which story I would read for my last review of 2023. There were a couple of classic stories, that I wanted to draw new readers to, and a few newer stories that I thought would also be fun to take a look
wildone

wildone in Reviews

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Weekly Wrap Up

Weekly Wrap Up (Dec. 3 - Dec. 9)

It is starting to look a lot like Christmas   I may have mentioned we had a big dump of snow before Halloween, but that was all melted off since the first week of November. Then we have had temps in the mid to high teens without a drop of moisture until last Thursday. We got a good dumping of snow. I would like my Christmas to be white, but not looking like it as the temp will be in the mid teens (celcius) again next week. Maybe I will have to make a trip to the North Pole   In the mea
wildone

wildone in Weekly Wrap Up

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Writing Tips

Endgame

Endgame There was a time when a majority of people saw the world in black and white. Well, some still do...but, for the most part...we’ve all grown to realize that things aren’t always that simple. The days of some mad scientist doing awful things simply because he’s crazy and terrible are kind of coming to an end. There are reasons for people that do the things that they do. Sometimes they’re selfish reasons, yes...but it’s not just a matter of good and evil all the time. Everything can’t b
Comicality

Comicality in Writing Tips

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Prompts

Random Acts of Description

I've never been a writer who enjoyed using much description.  I never thought the color of the carpet, the shadows on the flocked wallpaper or the nuances of a woman's dress did much to drive a story.  At least, that's what I used to think. Lately I've been reading more gothic short stories where the effect of the light on objects, the influence of color on mood, and the idea of space shapes impressions of the scene. As a result, I've been trying to use a bit more description in my writing.
Cole Matthews

Cole Matthews in Prompts

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Announcements

2024 Writing Events

As the new year approaches, it's time to start thinking about what's on the agenda for 2024. We've already announced one event for 2024, and the first story for Carlos' tribute has been posted.  I'm super excited to announce what else we have planned for next year.  It should be a great year with lots of opportunities to participate in site events! So without further ado, here is what's coming up in 2024.  2024 Writing Events Long May You Run - A Tribute to Carlos Hazday - Due December
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Valkyrie in Announcements

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Author Interviews

Ask An Author 3.0 #35

December is here, and you know what that means... There's one song I'll be muttering under my breath for the next three weeks. No, it's not Mariah Carey's Christmas song. The husband is already wanting to strangle me for singing Trixie Mattel's "All I Want For Christmas is Nudes" nonstop the past couple of days. But you're not here to hear me sing, and if you are, you've come to the wrong blog article.  December also means y'all get another Ask An Author! Let's see, lemme dig around. I know
astone2292

astone2292 in Author Interviews

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Genre Deep Dives

Romance Deep Dive

Romance stories focus primarily on character relationships and development.  There is a strong trope in most if not all, the sub-genres for Romance for a Happily Ever After (HEA) or Happy For Now (HFN).  Violating the HEA/HFN trope should not be done lightly or at a whim, as this tends to turn off readers of this genre.   Sub-genres: Contemporary Romance, General Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Regency Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Romantic Sci-Fi, Romantic Western
Myr

Myr in Genre Deep Dives

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CSR- Can't Stop Reading

December CSR Feature: Mr & Mister Danvers: Initiation by LJCC

Welcome to our last CSR feature of 2023! 10 years of features needed something dramatic with flair, and what is more dramatic than a spy thriller? So you can put down your holiday nog (or grab it if you need some spirits and enjoy them together!) and focus on this story for a fun journey of twists & turns you'll never expect.  Mr & Mister Danvers: Initiation by @LJCC Length: 59,674 Description: Greg Danvers, a former London police sergeant now a part-time waiter, ten
Cia

Cia in CSR- Can't Stop Reading

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Weekly Wrap Up

Weekly Wrap Up (Nov. 26 - Dec. 02)

Its starting to feel a lot like Christmas... Well, I hope you all are getting in the festive spirit  Maybe not so much myself. The past two weeks and been nightmarishly busy at work and I don't know if I'm coming or a going. Hoping maybe tomorrow will get me out of my bah humbug mood, as we go out to the forests and find Christmas Trees! I won't be getting one as there isn't enough in room my condo, but at least it is the first Christmassy thingy I'll be doing   So what happened l
wildone

wildone in Weekly Wrap Up

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Writing Tips

Invoking Nostalgia

Invoking Nostalgia Our lives, more often than not, come down to our ability to connect our current selves to our previous selves from the past. Being younger, more naive, more eager and energetic...remembering the lessons that we’ve learned, and the sometimes tragic mistakes we made that we’ve learned them from. Whenever you look at a younger photograph of yourself...you have to replay a ‘story’ in your head that will somehow cause you feel as though you and that person in the photograph are
Comicality

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