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Books I’ve Read So Far in 2024
Here we are in June 2024, already halfway through the year. It’s been a year and a month since my last post on this blog. I’ve always loved the idea of this blog, and with my kids heading to elementary school next year, I’m feeling the need to carve out something for myself while they’re busy. So, here at the beginning of this summer, I’m ready to dive back into blogging and give it another shot. Why not start with a bang: What books have I read and do I recommend so far in 2024?I keep track of all the books I read on GoodReads. FRIEND ME HERE! My goal…
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Discovering Your Writing Genre: Unleash Your Creative Potential
As writers, we embark on a creative journey, exploring the vast landscapes of storytelling. One crucial aspect of this journey is discovering the genre or genres that resonate with our unique voice and vision. Whether you’re a seasoned writer seeking a new direction or an aspiring author taking your first steps, understanding your preferred genre can unlock your creative potential and guide your writing endeavors. So, how can you discover the genre that speaks to your soul? Let’s explore. Discovering your writing genre is a voyage of self-exploration and creative growth. It requires reading, reflecting, experimenting, and embracing your instincts. Remember, genres are not rigid boxes but expansive realms waiting…
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The Blogger Returns!
Hello, writers! It’s been a minute so I thought I’d reintroduce myself! My name is Lisa Karsen, and I’m thrilled to share my writing journey with you. Writing has always been a part of my life, and I’ve been writing fiction stories for as long as I can remember. But during the pandemic, I discovered my love for poetry, which I didn’t realize I had before. I picked up poetry as a way to cope with the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic. It was a new challenge for me, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I found that writing poetry was a powerful way to…
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Happy New Year! 2022 Writing Resolutions
Welcome to 2022! I hope you rang in the New Year with your friends and families. From my house to yours, I’m wishing you a healthy, happy 2022 and, of course, getting lots of reading and writing done! This year, I have a few writing goals I’d like to share in hopes that it might inspire you as you set and create goals throughout the year. Normally, I don’t make tried and true “resolutions”. I find them hard to maintain and often lack sustainability. However, I do set goals throughout the year and, most often, they come in weekly and monthly goals. Here are my top 5 writing goals/resolutions for…
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Writing with a Purpose
What happens when we find ourselves unmotivated, dealing with outside circumstances, or feeling like an imposter? As creators, we have to look back to our goals and our original WHY. We’ve all been there, feeling like we’re not good enough, dealing with sh*t outside of our control, feeling like someone has already written this better me; why am I even trying? Being a writer, especially one who is trying to break into the industry, can be challenging and isolating. Being alone with only the thoughts in your head can easily leave projects unfinished. What about the creators who just want to finish a project? Maybe there is no desire to…
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How I Wrote and Self-Published a Poetry Book in 4 months (and you can, too!)
It was June 2020, roughly 3 months into lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic. Two specific and important things happened for me between March 2020 and June 2020 regarding the realizations I had for what my future held. Number 1) I realized I wanted to finish my bachelor’s degree. I wasn’t far off from the bachelor’s degree goal and it had been ten years since I dropped out. I knew through some wild internal gut instinct that this time being at home was the perfect time to pursue the degree. So I did. June 2020 I began the journey to finish my degree. Once I began my pursuing my degree, I…
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Poetry Prompt #1: Nature Theme
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How to Plot a Novel
Plotting can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be!The resources available are overwhelming so I am here, as someone who has DONE THE RESEARCH, to help you figure out how to plot your novel and write a successful bestseller. Plotting IS NOT for everyone. Perhaps you’ve exhausted all of your options and are scouring the web for the perfect way to plot and I’m here to tell you: there is no perfect way. Every author has a style, a system, a way of doing things. Sometimes that includes plotting, sometimes it doesn’t. The important thing is that you find what works for you and commit to the process. For…
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There are three kinds of writers…
So… You Want to Write a Novel If you’re reading this, it’s safe to say you have contemplated writing a novel at some point in your life. Maybe, even, on a regular basis for most of your life (like me). Perhaps you’ve dabbled in a story, writing on bursts of inspiration, and then quickly getting stuck and abandoning the project altogether. I am here to tell you, there is a better way! Writing a novel is an adventure, it is a journey, and, depending on your personality, there will be a number of planning steps involved. So let’s start there… at the beginning. Where do we begin? How do we…
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5 Tips to Writing Better Clothing Descriptions
Tip #1: USE CLOTHING TO SHOW OFF PERSONALITY It’s no secret that in real life, people use fashion to show off their personalities. Simply by looking at someone’s clothing, you might learn what type of music they’re into or if they’re quirky or timid. You could also determine whether they are professional, uptight, or relaxed. If your character wants to look professional for a job interview, rather than of telling your reader they’re dressed professionally, show us what they’re wearing. For example, “She wore a gray pencil skirt, with a white blouse. She added earrings to make her eyes sparkle and chose black heels that were tall but not too…
