Author: Cassandra Chandler
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The Process: Part One – Editing
Talking to other writers about their process is always a treat for me. Whether our techniques are similar or vastly different, I find the experience illuminating and invigorating. I’ve seen people asking about editing lately, so that’s where I’m going to start. To kick off my “Process” posts, there will be a special bonus post…
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Writing about Writing
Writing about the writing process is more difficult than writing stories. I never have a dearth of ideas when it comes to stories. I have the opposite problem when blogging. I know the pieces will be very short, so it’s easy to sit down to write them. But when I face that blank screen, my…
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Patience
Writing teaches patience, whether it happens when you’re staring at the blank screen and trying to figure out what happens next or watching the words slowly build to a completed piece. It’s like going to an amusement park. You can’t sleep the night before, waiting for that new adventure to begin. Once you’re there, the…
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Fear of Authenticity
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a friend about my writing and I came to a horrifying realization. I was no longer having fun. The change was slow and insidious. I had stories I enjoyed, ideas I liked, and characters I loved. But the balance was off. I was focusing too heavily on…
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“It’s not subtext…”
I try to stay open to signs from the Universe about what I should be writing next. Sometimes, the messages are easily explained as my subconscious picking up on things in my environment, and saying, “Please? May we please play with this story now?” This phenomenon is currently manifesting as me noticing motorcycles. The particular…
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Creative Connection
When I write, I don’t feel as if I’m creating something. I’m getting something down on the paper instead. My brain produces a constant stream of movies set in my own worlds and populated with people born from my subconscious. Often, I do control them, like playing with dolls as a child (though I was…
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Summer
I have to admit, summer is not my best season for writing. It isn’t the worst, either, but there’s something about the long days that dims my creativity. My muse is more likely to hibernate during the light months than the dark. In the autumn and the winter, she has more space to play. In…
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In the Mix
Good stories consist of many different elements. Action, dialogue, inner and outer conflict, drama, horror, and of course, romance, just to name a few. The presence of these elements can be amped up or dialed back, like balancing the channels on a mixer to create music. I keep romance at the center of every story,…
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Luminous Characters
There are people in this world who carry light within them. Real people and imagined. Some spread their light like a gentle sunrise, some like a guiding star. Others blaze like a perpetual supernova. Some are luminous like lightning. Exploring these variations is part of why I write. I want to get into the head…
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Poetry (for A.E. Ash)
Success needs to be celebrated! My very dear friend, A.E. Ash was just published in “Five Poetry” magazine! I am a huge fan of poetry. I am not a poet. In writing prose, the trick is always to show what’s happening, both inside and out of the characters, rather than telling what is happening. Immersing…
Cassandra Chandler 