Welcome!
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Word of the Week:
Persistence.
Google Definitions gives us this:
per·sist·ence/pərˈsistəns/
noun
- firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.
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What’s the biggest difference between published + unpublished writers? Clue: It’s not talent. Not connections. I owe any and all success I’ve had with writing to one main thing…relentless persistence.
L.B. Schulman’s website
WRITING TIP:
Dialogue
Don’t let dialogue scare you. It’s fun! Dialogue should sound like actual conversations. Don’t be too formal and don’t be afraid to use slang, run-on sentences, and even single words. And be sure to read it back and ask yourself if what you’re reading is “spoken” in a way people actually talk – – would you say things the way you’ve written them or are your characters going to be embarrassed by what you’re asking them to say?
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Authors Love Readers!
Reviews make authors smile – and lessen your chances of ending up as a character in one of our books and meeting an untimely end ?
A new short story based on a prompt from Writers Unite!’s ‘Write the Story’ Challenge is POSTED – CHECK OUT THE SHORT STORY SECTION OF RYLEE’S BLOG FOR:
Whittman’s Cabin
You can get there by going to the dropdown menu and clicking on my blog tab or if you’d like the easy route – click here and it will take you there. Thanks for reading! Love your support!
(Warning: You might want to grab a tissue… )
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The Candice Chronicles – Coming February, 2021
See the new tab in the menu
Tales of Candice McGregor’s escapades in Ghost (Spirit) hunting as told by her BFF and Ex-husband Greg Staley
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Coming Summer 2021
Finding The Truth – Book 3 of the Candice McGregor Mysteries
Weekly Drabble
What is a Drabble you ask? A drabble is a short form of fiction that is EXACTLY 100 words long. Writing a coherent and engaging story in just 100 words is very challenging! You should give it a try!
Word of the week:
Vanish
“A pie cannot just vanish into thin air Ramona. It’s got to be somewhere.”
“I realize that Patricia. But I’ve looked everywhere, and Betty Tomlinson’s blueberry pie is gone.”
“We’ll have to go tell Mayor McDaniel I suppose.”
The women walked away bickering about vanishing pies. Under the table and hidden safely out of sight behind the checkered tablecloth, two little boys grinned at each other across an empty pie plate.
“You was right Kenny, Miz. Tomlinson does make the best gol dern blueberry pie ever.”
“I tol’ ya so, now didn’t I? Wanna try Miz. Levi’s cherry pie now?”
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Short Short Story of the Week
A short story a week of 300 -500 words based on a random prompt from the internet.
PROMPT:
Everyone is born with two tattoos. One matches their soulmate and the other matches their biggest enemy. Write about a character who’s two tattoos are the same.
“Shut it Evan. Don’t even try to explain yourself. If you ever come within eyesight of me, I’ll knock you on your butt so fast you won’t even know what hit you.”
“Carly, stop. Everyone is looking at us.”
Carly swung around and glared at her best friend. “Belinda Carmichael, we have been friends for a gazillion years, you know good and well I don’t give a rats patootie about who is watching me. Evan Standridge just asked me out on a date! Evan freaking Standridge. He’s done nothing but make my life hell since we were like two and now he wants to claim he’s my soulmate?”
Belinda cringed. “Well, you know how we’re each born with a tattoo for our soulmate and one for our mortal enemy? And how they’re supposed to be different but yours are the same?”
“You know I don’t buy into all that Bee. I had my stupid tattoos covered up ages ago. I’m not going to let some crazy marks given to me at birth dictate my life.”
“You don’t have a choice Carly. It doesn’t work that way. Even that back alley tattoo artist told you that right before he charged you half a year’s wages to do the cover ups anyway. Have you noticed anything different about them recently?”
Carly gave her a side eyed look. “No, they’re on my back and I go to great lengths to avoid looking at them. Why? What’s going on?”
Belinda shrugged a shoulder and gave her friend an apologetic smile. “Well, they’re not covered up anymore for one thing.”
“And?” Carly almost growled the word. She didn’t really need Bee to tell her what was going on. She’d felt it when that jerk Evan had gotten within ten feet of her what the deal was but there was no way she was going to put words to what his presence had done to her.
Belinda knew that Carly knew what hand she’d been dealt. “It’s not so bad Car. He grew up great. He’s got a kickass job and he’s actually kinda . . . hot.”
Carly didn’t respond to Belinda’s nauseating yet accurate assessment of the man who was to be her fate, she merely sighed and turned to head for home wondering if the gods were up there somewhere laughing at what they’d done.
❤️?
ART or Craft OF THE WEEK
The Sheriff’s Office – A practice in perspective – Still need lots more practice
Perspective – More practice needed
This is incomplete – The tree isn’t done and the windows at the top of the tall building are NOT right – time to erase and re-do. And no color yet because … I’ve got some awesome new colored pencils and fine line markers coming from Amazon for my birthday!!!
MY BOOKS
And finally – Don’t forget to visit Amazon to buy your next favorite book – MINE!!!
(And tell your family and friends too) ?
I have two books in The Candice McGregor series Published – The Past Returns and Connections.
I also have a story in the Mystery anthology created and published by Writers Unite! And a story in each of the two volumes of the Paranormal Anthology!
Click here to go to Amazon for my books and here for the Writers Unite Anthology
There are 2 volumes to this and I have a story in each!!!
