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Lara Willard

Write, Edit, Repeat

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Word

Tips on Diction, plus the occasional word that is divine, awkward, or interesting.

DICTION

English Word Origins
The Diction Holy Grail
Diction: Latinate versus Anglo-Saxon
Voice: Talk Like a Pirate

WORDS

Chraractonym
100 Funniest Words
Sprachgefuhl
Cacoethes

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Hi! I'm Lara. Welcome to my virtual home!

Recent Posts

Internal Editor vs Improv
Drafting on a Deadline: The Idea + The Enneagram
[Download] Printable 2019 Quarterly Calendar
How Revision Changed JAWS (1975)
Writing Exercises: Voice

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Top Posts from the Archive

Characters: MBTI continued
Diction: Latinate versus Anglo-Saxon
Character Profile Worksheets
The 8 C's of Plotting: Introduction
The 8 C's of Plotting: Worksheets
POV Part 3—e.g. (examples)
Chapter Outlining like a Pantser
A Lesson in Backstory and Goals
QUIZ: How should you start your novel?
The Quick and Easy Guide to Dashes

Instagram @VerityLane

I got stuck in a laundry basket trying to take this picture 😂 Worth it? You know, it's actually quite comfy. Womb-like. No idea how I will get out of it without serious reinforcements. My dog is so embarrased he won't even look at me. But hey, I got a #socksunday shot! 📸Carol funko and Diana socks. Now I just need Captain Marvel socks. Any leads much appreciated. #fromtheinsideofalaundrybasket #thisiswheremylifehastakenme #thisismyhomenow #verymature30

April is National Poetry Month! If you need a gateway into contemporary poetry, if you aren't a fan of sentimental or mushy poems, or if you think poetry just isn't for you, try Billy Collins. He is accessible and entertaining with a dry sense of humor. 🔗Link in Bio for my "Introduction to Poetry" micro blog.

50-70 degrees is Chuck Taylor weather. Under 50, and I have to wear boots and socks. Over 70, sandal time! Did you know you can lace your shoes to accommodate for foot shape? That's why these are laced weird. They are thinner than my other Converse. I adore Chucks except that I have to sit down to put them on. That's why I loved my slip-on All Stars so much 😭

Can't wait to spend my Sunday with Daisy Jones & The Six 😍

If you give a kid a cookie ... he'll go ambidextrous.

New motto for writing picture books and finding my focus in a story: "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction." —E.F. Schumacher

A thing about symmetry. Sometimes I see it. I admit that order is rare in the chaos that is a messy home with two working parents with multiple jobs/school, two small children, and at least 2/4 of us with ADHD. But once in a while, there's a flash of order, like the symmetry here when I looked down while packing for a weekend away. I live in chaos and I don't like it. But there's beauty and balance in asymmetry, too. This weekend my husband and I went on a marriage retreat, and after nearly 10 years of marriage, we are often operating on the same brainwaves, but it's our differences that make us learn and grow. I'm thankful we aren't the same. I'm thankful for balance in asymmetry, and I'm thankful for these glimpses of order amidst our temporary chaos. This season of high stress will be over soon enough, and we'll come out of the kiln all the stronger for it. #socksunday

CAROL DANVERS CAROL DANVEEERRRRRSSSS #captainmarvel #ICried

I met my husband 12 years ago today, and "The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love" is an accurate description of the 13 months that followed. Our story doesn't resemble the one in the novel, but I definitely related to the part about being painfully in love with your best friend! This is a fun and satisfying read, but if the ending isn't what you were looking for, chase it with Geekerella (now in paperback) or Lucky Penny (graphic novel)! All quick YA reads. And if "unrequited" is a favorite Mood for you too, I've got a Spotify playlist for you! I'll see if I can link it in my Story. #thegeeksguidetounrequitedlove #shereadsYA #unrequitedlovesongs

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Guest Posts

7 TIPS FOR WRITING REALISTIC DIALOGUE

About Me

I've been grading grammar homework since 2005 and editing fiction and poetry since 2008. In 2013, I started editing comics and full manuscripts for novelists and literary agents.

Read "7 Reasons to Make Me Your Editor."

In 2015, I assembled a team of freelance editors of various specialties.

In 2018, I started my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Hamline University.

See what I'm up to.

Find out more about me.

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