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Let me be blunt. As a writer, you will get rejected.  Repeatedly.  Sometimes in rather painful ways. As a woman who writes murder mysteries, I can honestly say I’ve gotten a rejection letter because I’m a woman (of course, they didn’t outright

My inner critic is a nightmare. If there is a single factor that makes my work slow down, it’s that. Honestly, lately, as I’ve been dealing with everything, it’s gotten so bad that James has to step in and tell

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the terms I used in this week’s title, let me start off by explaining those.  Planners are exactly what it sounds like: someone who plans out their stories. Now, that can take many

This might end up being one of those times where I have to practice what I preach. The last several times I’ve posted on social media, I get messages from friends talking about how they saw my post and want

So, here’s your fun fact. My name almost wasn’t Mary Helen. It’s odd to think about that I came within weeks of being named something else entirely.  I was almost Helen Marie. I was named after one of my grandmothers. But, a

Two weeks ago, we dove into some writing resources that make the writing life so much easier. I briefly mentioned word processors in “Resources Every Writer should Have,” but I want to highlight some of the programs I’ve used over

Spoilers for Insomniac Games' Spider-Man. It seems like a lot of my posts since bringing this column back are about me searching for inspiration. It’s probably because even though I’m getting slightly better, it feels like most days my tank is

Quite a few years ago, I did a version of this article for screenwriters over on the Stage 32 blog. It was recently reposted to their blog, and, reading it over, I realized that I could do a version that

You would think that returning from vacation would mean that you’d be bursting with energy. That a week away at one of your favorite places on the planet was just what you needed to recharge your batteries and you’d be

In honor of the opening of the Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World this week, I’m taking the time to shout out to one of my favorite truly immersive story experiences, Universal Orlando Resort.  I’ve been an annual pass holder off