LaurelLit.com

Writer, Reader, English Teacher

Laurel Osterkamp

Five Overused Tropes Writers Should Avoid

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Recently, an author friend of mine was miffed when a line from his novel got edited out: I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Sure,” I told him. “Everywhere in social media, readers hate that line. They think it’s overused and cliche.”

Another thing that’s overused? Tropes.

Authors employ them to add interest, depth, and familiarity to a story. Except, some readers see tropes as cheating – a way to quickly provide exposition without …

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Book Journal: Doll Parts by Penny Zang

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Doll Parts by Penny Zang started out very promising. I was excited to discover it. One of my favorite authors, Ashley Winstead, gave it a great blurb. Once I found out it was about 90s grunge era girls who obsess over Sylvia Plath, I was on board. I was even more excited that the there was a feminist angle, and Zang was providing commentary about how we, as a society, fetishize young women who die. (That's something I wrote about earlier this year …

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My Winter Song to You (Sneak Peek)

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I'll admit it--I'm a theater geek, through and through. Not just that, but while I was growing up, my BFF and I DELIGHTED in writing short stories, scripts, or the beginnings of novels we'd never finish, and laughing our heads off while we read them out loud. That's why Chapter 18 of My Winter Song to You was my favorite chapter to write. The joy Max takes in his "script" was something I could totally connect with. So, without further ado, here's …

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Swiftature–Top Fifty Taylor Swift Songs for Fiction Writers Ranked: 10-1!!!

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  It's finally here! What we've all been waiting for--for weeks! The release of Life of a Showgirl!! Oops--no. Sorry. That's not for another day. Which is why I HAVE TO post my top ten Taylor Swift Songs for Fiction Writers today. I created my list months ago, and it's taken me this long to post it all. Who knows how the list might change though, after Life of a Showgirl is released?! If it does, I will make updates. But for now, here are the winners...

#10 thanK you …

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Swiftature — Top 50 Taylor Swift Songs for Fiction Writers Ranked: 20 -11

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OMG -- Taylor has a new album out soon, AND she's engaged!! It's the perfect time to finally resume my series about the top 50 Taylor Swift songs for fiction writers. Honestly, I never meant to take this long, but I've been hard at work on a holiday romance I hope to release in a matter of weeks, and that came first. But my WIP is currently being looked at my developmental editors & beta readers, so here we are. Taylor did me a solid by …

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