R. DuganApr 29, 20181 minCamp Nano – To Infinity…and BeyondHow did a month pass so quickly? There’s only one full day of NaNo left! As you cobble together your final wordcount, as you hit...
R. DuganApr 22, 20183 minCamp Nano – Redefine Your GoalsHere we are, at the start of Camp NaNoWriMo’s Week 4! Where did the time go? In some ways, it feels like it’s been April forever…and then...
R. DuganApr 15, 20183 minCamp Nano – Steady Over SwiftThe beginning of Week 3 is upon us! Week 2 has been conquered and Camp Nano is half over. Whether “conquered” looks to you like a...
R. DuganApr 8, 20182 minCamp NaNo – Write 100Week 2 of Camp Nanowrimo is upon us! For some, this is a pinnacle achievement – a whole week of writing dangerously under your belt! For...
R. DuganApr 1, 20182 minCamp NaNo Kickoff!NaNoWriMo season has begun! In November 2009, I remember hitting a serious low point in my writing. I had no inspiration, no direction,...
R. DuganMar 28, 20182 minFind Your Genre and Go Wild!There’s no shortage of blogs, articles, books, etc. that will try to helpfully steer writers toward telling stories for a niche that will...
R. DuganMar 25, 20182 min8 Questions For A Well-Rounded AntagonistIn last week’s blog post, we looked at nine questions to test your protagonist from Janice Hardy’s book on Revising Your Novel. But as...
R. DuganMar 21, 20182 minWrite from Your PainIn recent years, I’ve started to realize that writing is a much deeper journey than I ever gave it credit for in my rose-colored...
R. DuganMar 18, 20182 min9 Questions to Test Your ProtagonistRecently, my beta partner finished edits on the first novel of my series. While thisopened a doorway to an entirely new phase of the...
R. DuganMar 14, 20182 minThis Too Shall PassMy good friend recently wrote an amazing blog post about the Writing Blahs – when you don’t want to talk to your imaginary friends. This...
R. DuganMar 11, 20184 minHow to Write A Truly Strong Female LeadIn honor of International Women’s Day, which came this past week on March 8th, I decided to sit down and blog about a subject that’s been...
R. DuganMar 7, 20182 minTalk About Your Story Like You Would A Friend’sI am so proud and privileged to be part of an ongoing beta-team with one of my best friends. And thank goodness she’s not incredibly...
R. DuganMar 4, 20183 minIt’s Great to Have Goals – Just Don’t Let Them Strangle You!Confession: I am an admin nerd. I like to-do lists, checklists, and plans. I like to have clearly-defined goals on a clearly-defined...
R. DuganFeb 28, 20182 minIt’s Okay If It’s TerribleTwo things don’t mix well: writing and perfectionism. Why? Because writing is one of those art forms where you’re guaranteed not to have...
R. DuganFeb 25, 20187 minHow to Give Your Characters Realistic FlawsFor as long as I’ve been a part of the online writing community, the one principle that’s been hammered into me by screenshots, blog...
R. DuganFeb 21, 20182 minEvery Rejection is a VictoryHow often do we consider that triumph and failure are more a matter of perspective than absolutes? There are some who believe that the...
R. DuganFeb 18, 20183 minThe #1 Thing Your Sympathetic MC NeedsThere was a movie that came out relatively recent to the writing of this blog post. I won’t name the title, but it was a sequel to a very...
R. DuganFeb 14, 20182 minKill Your DarlingsIt’s tough to find a writer who doesn’t love at least some angle of their story. Why would we put ourselves through the brainstorming,...
R. DuganFeb 11, 20183 minWriting and IllnessThis week, I’m writing about something that’s currently very, very close to my heart. And my brain. And my sinuses. To make a...
R. DuganFeb 7, 20182 minYou’re Allowed to Say “No.”In a previous post, I talked a little bit about how saying “yes” to writing means saying “no” to doing something else. Because of the...