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I Have Mastered Outlines
Guys, gals, and nonbinary pals, I have learned how to make outlines work. I sort of saw how other people used them but it took a long time to figure out how to make them work. Maybe it’s because I’m neurodiverse. Maybe I just missed it by a mile. For whatever reason, it took a…
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When You’re Finished
There is a lot that goes into finishing a manuscript. But what does that look like? After the drafting process, after you’ve either secured an agent or editor, and after the edits have been made, it’ll be time for formatting, book covers, marketing, and release with more marketing. But that’s not what I’m here to…
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Diverse Narratives
I am Filipino. I am a part of the Filipino-American diaspora, and more importantly, I’m proud to be a part of it. Biologically I’m mixed race (Filipino/white) but I identify as Filipino because blood quantum is a tool of colonialism. Blood quantum says nothing about the people I was raised around, the culture I am…
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Medication and Creativity
I take medication for bipolar disorder, among other things. I take medication, as well as go to therapy, to help manage my moods and make my life easier. But there is stigma against it, especially among creators, because of the mistaken belief that medication kills creativity. And I’m here to address that. There is a pervasive…
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How Many Drafts is Ideal?
I think that, by the time I send my manuscript off to the editor, it will have had at least ten drafts, give or take. It’s not that I mind; after all, it takes, however many it takes. And everyone’s drafting process is different too. Some people can get away with two or three drafts,…
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Setbacks
You’re going to encounter setbacks, and that’s okay. It’s normal for things to not go as planned in every aspect of life, but especially when it comes to storytelling. They come in all shapes and sizes, some bigger than others. And it’s going to be upsetting. That is absolutely part of the process and it’s…
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Bigger Pictures
I had writer’s block for a while. No idea what to write about. I knew I needed to rest for a while, and I did. I read. I engaged in some of my favorite hobbies. I watched TV. And every time I tried to come back to writing, I found myself stuck. The story seemed…
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I Didn’t Write Today
I got no words written today. And that’s alright. What I did instead was plan some last-minute changes I’m making to the Guardians of Gaia series. The story is more or less complete, I just got requests for content that I hadn’t planned for. It turns out people actually wanted more backstory, so I had…
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Switching Gears
Sometimes it’s not that you burned out on writing. Sometimes it’s that you burned out on writing a specific project. I know I’ve been there before, and I’m there right now. I powered through most of three novels, a novella, and outlines for five more novellas, and I suspect that it’s time to switch gears. …
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Character Names
I think naming characters is one of my weakest points. It’s agonizing, isn’t it? Picking the right one? Pouring over baby name websites and trying to find that perfect name that fits better than literally anything else? Or using name generator sites to find that perfect moniker. Does it ever get any easier? It doesn’t…