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Lara Willard

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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

Tips and Tricks for Writing Successful Twitter Pitches
Commercial and Literary Fiction as Paintings
[Download] Printable 2019 Quarterly Calendar
English Word Origins
Why You Should Write & Submit Short Works

Let people know you won #70pit17 by adding a GIF badge to your blog or website!

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

Humans aren't animals. Love your neighbor. Don't be racist. Take care of children. ☝️ Basic fundamental truths of not being evil! But let me go further. We have families unjustly separated at the border and also separated due to incarceration of nonviolent crimes. And these victims of injustice are primarily people of color. The United States is stolen land, and our laws are racist. Vote for human rights. Vote for people of color who will fight for people of color. And dammit, be kind. Just be kind. #nokidsincages #keepfamiliestogether #nohumanisillegal

Read The First Part Last on Father's Day weekend and didn't even plan it that way. The First Part Last is about a 16-year-old becoming a father, and the tension and juxtaposition between innocence and maturity, fun and responsibility. It captured so well the complicated feelings surrounding parenthood, especially unplanned parenthood. The audio book was perfectly performed and intimate. It felt like Bobby was sitting in the seat next to me, just talking. A short read or a short listen (2 hours only!)--pick it up! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Swipe to see a pic of my own "baby-with-a-baby" daddy and me, taken 30 years ago on Father's Day. I love you, Dad! Thanks for keeping me 😭

Finally got to go to another Tweet Up this month! If you are a writer or editor in the Twin Cities, follow MN Publishing Tweet Up on Facebook or @MN_Pub on Twitter to find the next happy hour where publishing nerds get together to mingle. My question of the day was who everyone thought should write the MPRRaccoon picture book.

Quite a couple 😍 Don't these two look pretty together with their Instagram colors? 🌠 Yesterday I finished The Sun Is Also a Star. I liked it more than Everything, Everything. Nicola Yoon does teen swoon well, but my favorite parts are the times the boys show their teen-boy-minds and I always end up laughing out loud. High concept teen romances with certain aspects I'm always curious about how they'll adapt to film. This one has a lot of omniscient narration and back stories of sideline characters. I didn't like when Mal Peet did that, but it worked in this novel because it was on theme. Not sure if it will work in the movie... excited to find out! 📚📖 Next up is The First Part Last on audio and The Poet X in hard copy.

Here's another MG-with-crushes I read this weekend. INVISIBLE EMMIE is a debut novel from the cartoonist behind The Pajama Diaries comics. I say "novel" because that's where I found it in the library, and it's an illustrated novel with some comics pages interjected from another POV. I enjoyed this one! It was very cute and probably my favorite in terms of illustrated MG novels. Adults will see some things coming, and so will astute young readers, but it doesn't take away from the story, and the crush isn't as much of a focus as the premise might lead readers to believe. I recommended it for ages 8-10. My 7yo son isn't quite there yet, but I think he will enjoy it in another year or two when he is experiencing his first crush. I was in love by age 3 and reading silently by 4, so I would've liked it in second grade. #invisibleemmie #illustratednovel

Finally read DRAMA in its entirety this weekend. Now I have read all of Telgemeier except maybe one or two Babysitter's Club books. Brought me back to my theater days! It was cute. I don't love romance in MG though: I grew up on the Disney Channel and Boy Meets World and Princess stories, and all of that led me to believe that romance was a necessity in middle school. I was completely boy crazy, never thinking my life was complete without romance, and I missed out on a lot from those years because of it. So I definitely connected with Callie, and I know the representation in the book has been important to its tween readers! And I liked the theatrical framing devices. It's a good read, but your mileage, like mine, may vary. Do you have a favorite MG romance? A favorite MG without romance?

Today's #MuseMon theme is Bravery. "You need to overcome your fear. Quien quiera peces, que se moje el culo." #CYCLESwip

Back home, and all the travel and sleep deprivation have caught up with me. Thanks for having us, Denver! 📷 Son 1 in the stacks @tatteredcoverbookstore

#Repost @emilymcdowell_ • • • I’m seeing a lot of well-intentioned but misinformed comments about Kate Spade’s (heartbreaking) death. Things like, “if only she’d known how many women she’d inspired and how beloved she was.” Or “it really goes to show that success doesn’t buy happiness.” Here’s why this thinking is misguided:🌱 Even though science has proven it a million times over, our culture doesn’t yet fully recognize that MENTAL ILLNESS IS A BRAIN DISEASE, just like hepatitis is a liver disease. Depression (and bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and everything else) affects our brain— the organ we use to make decisions. If you’re suffering from suicidal depression, it doesn’t matter how beloved you are or how much you love your family or how much money you have, because your brain is telling you that despite all those things, suicide is your only option. (Or that you need to isolate yourself, sleep all day, or other behavior that a healthy brain would recognize as bad decisions.) This is one reason mental illness is so deadly: the part of our body that’s affected is the same part that’s responsible for our behavior. It’s like if you broke your leg and then had to use that leg to walk to the hospital. 🌱 The other reason mental illness is so deadly: shame and stigma around seeking help. Reports are saying Kate resisted inpatient treatment because she worried about the effect it would have on her “happy” brand image. Depression is an ILLNESS. It’s not weakness. It’s not your fault. And it’s impossible to think or reason your way out of it without help, due the part of your body that’s ill. 🌱 If you are suffering, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. The National Suicide Hotline number is 800-273-8255. Call them. They are great. I know, because I’ve called. #noshame Or text TALK to 741-741 if you prefer texting. The world is a better place with you in it. #mentalhealth #mentalillness #endthestigma #depression #suicideprevention #emilyonlife

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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.

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

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