Monthly Archives: April 2014

Before you use that thesaurus…

Posted on April 30, 2014 by mtdecker

We all have a tendency to repeat words and phrases when we’re writing, especially in longer works.  One of the tricks to get around this is to write your first draft and then use the thesaurus to correct the problem. … Continue reading →

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Musings on the importance of the first line

Posted on April 28, 2014 by mtdecker

A lot of people talk about having a hook, or if we are going for a fishing metaphor lure, that catches the reader’s attention long enough to hook them and draw them in… but there’s a lot more to it … Continue reading →

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Poetry Part 2: Is there poetry without rhythm?

Posted on April 26, 2014 by mtdecker

The answer, in my not so humble opinion, is yes… and no. Rhythm is in everything we do.  It is the tick of the clock, the movement of the pendulum, the very beat of our hearts is rhythmic.  Rhythm can … Continue reading →

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FlashFriday: Re-imaging a story

Posted on April 26, 2014 by mtdecker

Today’s prompt at FlashFriday  was particularly uninspiring for me, I did have a beginning line, but I had no idea what to do with it.  This time, rather than take you through the revision process in detail, I’m going to present … Continue reading →

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Musing on voice, its advantages and disadvantages

Posted on April 24, 2014 by mtdecker

The predictability of being unpredictable. As I’ve stated earlier, I’ve been writing for flash fiction contests for over a year now, and although almost all the judges judge ‘blind’ (they collect the stories without the author’s information) they almost always … Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction – a Matter of Opinion

Posted on April 22, 2014 by mtdecker

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since I started entering flash fiction competitions but I’ve learned a lot in that year: the most important lesson I think is to trust your instincts and don’t get too … Continue reading →

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A few thoughts on voice and cover letters.

Posted on April 21, 2014 by mtdecker

A lot of writing workshops and classes will talk about style and voice. These are the spices that flavor your writing and make them yours. Finding your voice as a writer is very important: it helps you establish a rapport … Continue reading →

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