Michelle Hazen Blog | Michelle Hazen

Hey everyone! *waves* To celebrate the grand re-launching of my shinier, prettier, better website, I really wanted to have a pinata with tiny wind-up narwhales and miniature cheesecakes in magical smash-proof containers (because really, what’s a party if you don’t get to smash things and have cheesecakes rain from the sky?) but my ever-patient and valiant web designer said that might be stretching even her prodigious talents. So instead, have a look around at the new site, sign up for the blog if you want updates on my books & fun sneak previews, and enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card in the giveaway below! I figure, pinata or not, Amazon probably sells wind-up narwhales and miniature cheesecakes, so if you win you can have my dream party anyway. Also, come back tomorrow because then you can enter to...

Scrivener vs Word for Writers

06 Mar 2016

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About Writing, Reviews

I’m not a computer girl, but when I discovered Scrivener software for writers, it was like I’d been putting in screws my whole life using a nail file, and somebody finally gave me a drill. Of course, by “discovered” I mean my CP raved for a year about this program and I ignored her, because much like the book Eat Pray Love, I assumed that anything that trendy and popular must be crap. Wrong. First, I’d like to say I’m not getting kickbacks from Scrivener or Word to write this. I do what I want, and what I want is to HELP WRITERS SUCCEED. I’ve written 16 books in Word, and 1 in Scrivener, and while I’m not a master of all its many bells, whistles, and upgrades, Scrivener kicks Word’s butt on the following issues: Planning, Visuals (swoon!), Organization,...

Writing Kick-ass Dialogue Using Fanfiction

13 Feb 2016

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About Writing, Fanfic

Writing dialogue is important. Unless you’re doing a novel on a mute Russian burlesque group, in which case, all the luck to you. For the rest of us, even if you have the best worldbuilding ideas or the hookiest of book hooks, unnatural dialogue will be enough to make someone put your book down. Dialogue must do three things: Sound like a real person Convey information quickly and naturally Tell us something about your character (ie dialogue has to sound different for each character) That’s a lot to ask of every line that comes out of your characters’ mouths, but lucky for you, I have a secret weapon. No, not a chainsaw slingshot (I wish). My secret dialogue weapon? Fanfiction. Write fanfiction, preferably of TV shows, but books work, too. Every book and TV show out there already has a...

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Website Re-Launch Party!

Scrivener vs Word for Writers

Writing Kick-ass Dialogue Using Fanfiction

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