Tag: Storytelling

9 Things That Happened To Me When I Lost My Mom

Those Phases of Grief Didn’t Quite Prepare Me For A Couple Of These It’s getting to that time late in the year when I remember “that day”. My mother died in December, not long before Christmas, and while I never was too fond of the holiday, I became more apathetic to it. It’s been more than 10 years, and I have no problem saying that Christmas is officially not my favorite holiday in part because of […]

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Whatever Happened to Rasputin’s Schlong? (Yes, I mean THAT part)

Unless you’ve lived a Happy Feet existence somewhere with polar bears, you’ll have heard of Grigori Rasputin. He was a trusted advisor to Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra after “treating” their son Alexei. He’s a mysterious figure, the holy lothario who’s the subject of much speculation, which makes him ripe for authors and writers. But did you know that his hefty schlong has its own story? Pull up a chair, and let’s take a […]

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How To Write the Story You Want Despite Reader Distrust

As an author, I’ve encountered reviews and opinions about how a story doesn’t resonate with readers because it didn’t seem “real enough.” My first push-back response to that criticism is usually a strong defense of the genre. “It’s fiction and by definition, ‘not real.’ ” But, when you look deeper at what the reader’s trying to say, you realize that this critique is neither trite nor glib. Here’s what I mean:

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