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Category Archives: Pen Points
Mystery of Writing Suspense
The Mystery of Suspense Writing Charlene Bell Dietz It was a warm, summer night in Wyoming, many years ago. Someone coughed outside the kitchen window. The short, cut-off cough, like a cough not wanting to be heard, caused me to … Continue reading
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Tagged Alfred Hichcock, call-back, create questions, Mystery Fiction, Shining, Stanley Hotel, Stephan King, Suspense, Writing tips
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HOW TO USE 3,000 STRAIGHT PINS
Queen Elizabeth (b. 1533 – d. 1603) used about 3,000 straight pins a month, probably more than most, but still an impressive amount. Pins have been used for about 4,000 years, appearing around the emergence of the bronze age. You … Continue reading
From the End to the Beginning: Saying Goodbye
Originally posted on CHARLENE BELL DIETZ, Author: Inkydance Studios:
Everyone says that cousins were marrying cousins. According to family lore, my great grandfather wanted a more diverse bloodline for his grandchildren. When he married in 1859 he moved from Maryland…
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COAUTHORS WRITE WINNING BOOKS
by Charlene Bell Dietz Engagement Required: Young children often want the same book read aloud again and again or will latch on and study one book over and over, excluding all others. When this happens many parents worry about their … Continue reading
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HOW FAR DO WE STRETCH THE TRUTH?
Stretch the reader’s credulity, his sense of logic, to the upmost—it is quite elastic—but don’t break it. In this way, you will write something new, surprising and entertaining to both yourself and the reader. -Patricia Highsmith If you’ve read Highsmith’s, … Continue reading
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Tagged authors, creative, Dan Mallory, deception, Fiction writers, Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Writing tips
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Part 3: THOSE SNEAKY RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS: Who wrote the 1635 version of “A Relation of Maryland”?
Imagine this: It’s England, the year, 1635. You’ve angered some notable Protestants along with the king’s men.You need to leave because you’re Catholic, and now they’re searching for you. A friend whispers in your ear for you to hurry down … Continue reading
CHARLENE BELL DIETZ, Author: Inkydance Studios 