Happy Halloween...

...from the McArthur Pirate Clan! Ar...

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Writers-- Are we all just a bunch of thieves?

There is some debate in the world over whether there are truly any unique stories anymore. People talk about things like the seven basic plots, and how all of us writers just recycle and steal from each other. And really? Who am I to say otherwise? After all, I did steal my idea for Devolutionaries from an episode of Fringe.BUT. Who says that throws originality out the window?...

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Remembering the Storyteller

In the crazy-competitive, market-yourself, write-the-breakout-novel-or-fail world of becoming an author, it's easy to forget why the heck you're doing this in the first place. But the other day, a little memory from my first volunteer trip to Ghana popped into my head, and I remembered...

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Sci Fi-- It's not just for nerds anymore

First, to read my entry for the Cliffhanger Blogfest, click here!AND, today I'm a guest of the wonderful Bekah! If you're interested on how the world of science fiction is evolving, here's a teaser of my post up at Bekah's Stories:"Now, lest I be snubbed by the sci fi nerds of the world, let me start off by saying this: I am one of you. Growing up, I had my own lightsaber and I...

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Cliffhanger

So, I know I said I don't usually do blogfests...but a cliffhanger fest was too irresistible to pass up! Check out the other entries here, and here is the 500-words-or-less cliffhanger for Devolutionaries, chapter 1! Grandad closed his eyes a minute, like he was listening for something. “They’ve come for me.” “Who?” My throat tightened in panic, and my voice...

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Aspiring Author Interview!

My friend and awesome crit partner Michelle is doing a weekly feature called Aspiring Author Interviews! And I was lucky enough to be her first interviewee. This is a great way to get to know your fellow aspiring authors. So go check out my interview and Michelle's awesome bl...

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Double Book Review: I Am Not a Serial Killer and Mr. Monster

I recently mentioned reading Mr. Monster by Dan Wells, and I thought maybe I should do an actual book review since I loved it so much. But since it is a sequel, I thought I should review the first book, I Am Not a Serial Killer, as well. So here's two for the price of one!Here's...

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What's Your Writing Routine?

I don't write at a desk. This is not because of some "free the poet within" sort of philosophy, or some bizarre quirk that makes it easier for me to write while sitting in an empty bathtub. It's because I'm poor (ish).Luckily, a laptop can go anywhere, and with a $20 TV tray, I've...

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Thanks and Awards

Thanks to Janet Johnson and Jenn Hoffine for the Creative Blogger and Cherry on Top Awards! You ladies rock. :)I'm passing these on to David King (who blogs enthusiastically about fantasy writing), Tamara Heiner (whose debut novel comes out next month), Michelle Teacress (whose posts never fails to make me smile), and Michelle Merrill (my awesome crit buddy who lives and breathes...

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Devolutionaries-- First 250 Words Blogfest

Here's the first 250 words of Devolutionaries. Please feel free to give any thoughts you have! I have a thick skin. :)Name: Shallee McArthurTitle: DevolutionariesGenre: YA dystopianGrandad lied to me a lot. I’d known that for a long time. But standing at the counter at the Distribution Center, I decided everybody lied. “You only gave me four potatoes,” I said. “Well, you only...

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First 250 Words Blogfest on Saturday!

So a few weeks back, I entered my first line in a blog contest for an agent critique. I was picked as a finalist, and posted my first 250 words for the next part of the contest.And as soon as I did, I realized that my first 250 words were not at all what I wanted them to be. Luckily, I'm in revisions! Even though I didn't win the contest, I feel like I sort of did anyway because...

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Beauty in Layers: Writing Powerful Scenes

I've been thinking a lot about powerful moments in my life, and what made them powerful. And of course, I've been thinking about how to put this into my writing. This morning, I thought about the summer I was on a crew team (rowing), and something clicked. It was something small,...

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How to Tell When a Scene Isn't Working

So, first off, I wanted to clarify something from the last post-- be sure to read I Am Not a Serial Killer before you read Mr. Monster. It's a series, and the first book is just as riveting as Mr. Monster!Also on the last post, I got an interesting comment from Michelle. She asked how you know if you've made a scene better or worse when you're rewriting it. I've been pondering...

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Good and Bad

So, there's good and bad on the writing front this week.The bad: The rewriting. Blech. Okay, the rewriting itself isn't so bad. What's bad is I rewrote my first scene...and made it worse. Groan. Starting over on that one.The good: I went to Dan Wells' signing for Mr. Monster (which,...

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Getting Ready for Rewrites

I'm starting my rewrite of Devolutionaries today, and ideas are practically exploding out of me. I have a full novel critique coming up at the end of November, so I'm on a bit of a deadline, but I couldn't be more excited. In the week since I finished the first draft, I've been thinking a lot about rewriting in general. I thought I'd share some of the things that have helped me...

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Hundred Awesome Followers Winners!

Thanks to random.org, we have our Hundred Awesome Followers Giveaway winners! The Forest of Hands and Teeth goes to: Sandy Shin!The Gardener goes to: Abby Annis!Congrats, you two! You should be getting an email from me soon. And thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks again for following.Also, a big thanks to Lynda R. Young and A. L. Sonnichsen for the new awards floating around...

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Last Day!

Just a reminder, today's the last day to enter the Hundred Awesome Followers Contest! Followers just need to leave a comment on the contest post, and you're entered-- but only until midnight tonig...

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