from the blog:

Pace Your Writing: Withholding and Foreshadowing

Mar 28, 2023 | No Comments
Pace Your Writing: Withholding and Foreshadowing

As writers, we are managers who must control the pace or rate of revelation to readers. Foreshadowing and withholding are two techniques for your toolbox. Writing Tip for Today: What are Withholding and Foreshadowing and how can we use them effectively? Rate of Revelation As your readers’ manager, you control how much information readers obtain […]

Writing: Self-editing Your Novel

Mar 21, 2023 | No Comments
Writing: Self-editing Your Novel

Writing is rewriting, the saying goes. And self-editing is a must-have skill for good rewriting. Writing Tip for Today: What are some strategies for developing your self-editing skills? Read, Plan, Draft Self-editing skills take time and practice. Sure, some seem to have inborn talent for storytelling. The rest of us can learn to craft better […]

Scene Writing for Purpose

Mar 14, 2023 | No Comments
Scene Writing for Purpose

When you’re writing a scene, do you understand its purpose? Writing Tip for Today: Let’s explore purpose in scene writing. The Why of Scene Your scene’s purpose is the reason you write the scene. Purpose tells readers why they’re following your character thus far. Unfortunately, writers often miss this important element when they try to […]

Nonfiction Writing: Balance the Elements

Mar 7, 2023 | No Comments

In nonfiction writing, it’s important to balance the different elements of style. Here’s what I mean. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s talk about the different nonfiction elements and how to balance them: The Five Elements Any story—fiction or nonfiction—relies on five different ways we can tell a story: Action, Dialogue, Thought, Description (narration) and Exposition. […]

Scene Writing: Keep a Scenic Rhythm

Feb 28, 2023 | No Comments

In scene writing, effective writers develop and keep a certain scenic rhythm. That is, the scenes have a balanced mixture of action, dialogue, interior thought and narrative. Writing Tip for Today: Let’s discuss ways to keep scenic rhythm feeling natural and unforced: Know Your Scenes Mixing the combination of action, dialogue, interior thought and narrative […]

Writing: More Effective Dialogue, Part II

Feb 21, 2023 | 6 Comments
Writing: More Effective Dialogue, Part II

Last post we talked about writing effective dialogue in general. Today let’s take it a bit further. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some more tips for writing effective dialogue: Too Much or Not Enough New writers often lean heavily to one side or the other—either they allow too much narrative to dampen scenes or […]

LINDA S. CLARE

Linda S. Clare

 Linda has always been a daydreamer, artist and storyteller. In addition to doting on grandbabies, collecting too many cats, gardening and walking on the beach, she loves to write and to help writers develop their skills.

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A SKY WITHOUT STARS

a sky without stars

Frankie Chasing Bear is caught between cultures. She wants to raise her son Harold to revere his Lakota heritage, but she also thinks he will need to learn the white man’s ways to succeed. After the untimely death of her husband, Frankie joins the U.S. Government’s Relocation Program and moves to Arizona. There she begins sewing a Lakota Star pattern quilt for Harold with tribal wisdom sung, sewn, and prayed into it.

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