Author: Yolandie Horak
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Easy Self-Editing – Redundancies (Pleonasms)
The first draft of A Study of Ash & Smoke was riddled with redundancies, AKA pleonasms. My editor, Nerine Dorman, took to my debut manuscript with a kill-it-with-fire vehemence and likely mumbled a million curses at the ceiling as she removed them (among other issues) from my very *cough, cough* unpolished novel. I’ve said this…
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Writing Playlists
My high school art teacher believed music helps us create. She once said you can’t paint sunshine and daffodils while listening to metal, but you needed those angry sounds to paint thunderclouds. And those words have burrowed in my heart. I need music to set the scene while I write. I find it impossible to…
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Simple City Map Take Two
I wrote the predecessor to this post in July 2017. The sad news? I never finished my pencil-and-paper city map. The good news? It took me only seven years to pick up where I left off and finish a digital version. So, booyah. 😁 I see this as the heart of Downtown Roicester, with suburbia…
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Updated Planning Methods
Planning a novel doesn’t always come easily. As a hybrid planner/pantser and an ADHD’er, I often find myself super excited at the beginning of the planning process, pouring myself into putting every minute detail to paper. Until the impatience sets in, at which point I must write. Once I’ve abandoned the planning, I hurl myself…
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Let’s Write – Dialogue
For many of us, the ultimate goal is to write good stories that keep our readers submerged in our stories. That’s certainly my greatest motivator whenever I write. But it’s so easy to include quirks that yank our readers right out of our stories and dump them back into the real world. I don’t know…
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Review – Keoker Polymer Clay Cutters for Fall
A good clay cutter makes everything better—this is a fact every polymer clay artist learns in a hurry. Choosing quality cutters can be a difficult task. I’ve purchased designer cutters for a pretty penny from Etsy-exclusive stores that don’t work at all, and I’ve also bought the cheapest possible cutters from random import stores that…
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Easy Crochet: Solid Granny Square Shawl
I love granny squares. It’s my favourite thing to crochet. My theory is that the repetitive stitches allow my mind to wander while squares work up fast enough that it feels like I’m making constant progress. Dopamine hits galore! Since granny squares have become my go-to crochet project, I have heaps of them around the…
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March Writing Update
I announced last year that I’m officially back at work on A Curse of Venom & Scales (the story that has been a literal curse in my life). Since then, many of you have reached out to learn more about this book. Friends, it has been a journey. If I’m honest, I’ve never been more…
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Review: Rogue Adventure
I don’t often review games on the blog, but I might try my hand at more of these in the future, especially since I adore this game! But first, a quick disclaimer. As with all my reviews, I don’t receive compensation for my thoughts or opinions (I’ll state it clearly if that ever changes). I…
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Quick ADHD Resources
Adult ADHD diagnosis is a wild ride. When I tell people about my diagnosis, I typically get one of two replies. It’s either, “Everyone is a little ADHD,” or, “Everyone has ADHD these days.” Meanwhile, the diagnosis has been the answer to all the questions I’ve been asking my entire life. It’s wild to suddenly…
Yolandie Horak 