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Why I've Made My Writing Time a Priority (Even While Homeschooling Four Kids)

Oct 9, 202313 min read

Why I've Made My Writing Time a Priority (Even While Homeschooling Four Kids)

I grew up creating—writing stories, drawing and painting, making jewelry, constructing homemade furniture and accessories for my dolls,...

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Crystal Crawford

May 21, 20211 min read

News and Updates

Introducing: Trope Talk Videos!

Grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and join us as we chat book tropes! I just launched a fun, new thing on YouTube: Trope Talk with MJ and...

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Can an Onion Help You Write a Better Novel? (Introducing, the Plot Onion!)

Crystal Crawford

Oct 15, 20209 min read

Tips for Writers

Can an Onion Help You Write a Better Novel? (Introducing, the Plot Onion!)

this newest resource is for fiction-writers who – like me – struggle to keep the big-picture story neatly in mind while writing...

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Crystal Crawford

Sep 19, 20204 min read

Tips for Writers

Fear: A Writer's Worst Enemy

Many of the reasons writers give for not writing are chiefly motivated by one element: Fear.

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Crystal Crawford

Feb 17, 202027 min read

Book Promos

So What Is Arameth, Exactly?

A brief tour of Arameth, to show you what emerged from this world and how it all came together.

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24 Reasons Everyone Should Have Book-Nerd Friends

Crystal Crawford

Feb 16, 20202 min read

Book-Related Lists

24 Reasons Everyone Should Have Book-Nerd Friends

Everyone needs at least one book-nerd friend. Here's why!

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Crystal Crawford

Aug 10, 20191 min read

Tips for Writers

If You Write Fiction, This Is for You!

Announcing my new "crash course in fiction writing" guide!

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Plantsing: How Loose Outlines Save My Turkey… and My Books

Crystal Crawford

Nov 19, 20185 min read

Tips for Writers

Plantsing: How Loose Outlines Save My Turkey… and My Books

If you’ve followed any of my series on Plotting, you know that I like plotting.But here’s my secret: I didn’t use to plot my stories at all.

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Crystal Crawford

Jun 15, 20181 min read

Tips for Writers

Inspirational Writing Quotes

A collection of inspirational writing quotes

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Secrets of “Show, Don’t Tell”: What It Really Means and How to Do It Well

Crystal Crawford

Jan 15, 201810 min read

Tips for Writers

Secrets of “Show, Don’t Tell”: What It Really Means and How to Do It Well

A question I'm asked repeatedly: What about “Show, Don’t Tell”? How do I do it? What are the rules?

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A 1-Year CHALLENGE to Help You Supercharge Your Writing Career

Crystal Crawford

Dec 28, 201715 min read

Tips for Writers

A 1-Year CHALLENGE to Help You Supercharge Your Writing Career

I often receive comments on how I’ve managed to build an online community around my writing. Here's a step-by-step of how I did that...

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Crystal Crawford

Oct 30, 20174 min read

Tips for Writers

What to Do When Writing Sucks

What to do when it suddenly feels like writing sucks and you wonder why you ever decided to do this in the first place.

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Crystal Crawford

Oct 16, 20176 min read

Tips for Writers

How to Self-Edit Your Writing

A good self-edit can make a huge difference in your writing, but only if you know how to do it well. Here are 7 tips to help you self-edit..

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Crystal Crawford

Sep 25, 20174 min read

Tips for Writers

How to Create Memorable Characters

Vibrant, memorable characters are the heart of storytelling and the window through which you are able to access your readers’ emotions.

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Crystal Crawford

Aug 21, 20172 min read

Thoughts on Writing

Word Cities (Revisited)

Writers have a unique and important challenge: take ideas, experience, language – and assemble them into something altogether different...

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How to Overcome the Fear of Sharing Your Writing

Crystal Crawford

Aug 14, 20174 min read

Tips for Writers

How to Overcome the Fear of Sharing Your Writing

How do you overcome the fear of others reading your work? The simplest answer to this is actually the most difficult to execute...

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Crystal Crawford

Aug 7, 20174 min read

Tips for Writers

Helpful Books for Writers

As both a writer and a writing instructor, I read a lot of books on writing. Here are my top book recommendations for writers.

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Crystal Crawford

Jul 17, 20176 min read

Tips for Writers

Throw It to the Wolves

Throw your writing to the wolves. Sure, it may get uncomfortable. You may even get hurt a bit. But you may also find something wonderful...

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Crystal Crawford

Jul 10, 20172 min read

Creative Nonfiction

Cringe-Worthy Can Be Good

There are two reasons a reader might cringe while reading a story... The difference between these two reasons can make or break a story.

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Crystal Crawford

Jul 3, 20177 min read

Tips for Writers

Creative Independence

What is Creative Independence? I’m glad you asked. 😉

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