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Writer

I love writing, and I also love to write ABOUT writing, classic female authors, and whatever else might be on my mind. I hope you enjoy the variety!

Three Steps to Three Dimensional Characters

Laurel Osterkamp · April 14, 2023

How do you make sure that your characters–both main and supporting–are three- dimensional? It can be easier said than done, but if you follow these three steps, you’ll develop characters who are believable, relatable, and compelling. 1: Your characters need to want something. And you, the author, need to know what their motivations are. The first question you should ask yourself before you write each and every scene in …

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The Blurry Line Between Charlotte Brontë and Jane Eyre

Laurel Osterkamp · April 3, 2023

Late last month, my short story, “You and Jane” was published by Abandon Journal. It’s about a modern-day, parallel universe Charlotte Bronte who’s receiving genetic counseling, and she must reckon with grief and the deaths of all her siblings and her mother. I know that doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs, but the piece is meant to be funny, with dark, absurdist humor. You don’t have to understand the connection between Jane Eyre and her creator, Charlotte Bronte to enjoy the story, but I …

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Fabulous Feminist Writers: Eve Babitz

Laurel Osterkamp · March 10, 2023

Late in her life, Eve Babitz became both a cultural and a feminist icon. But for decades, she was overlooked, dismissed even. I see her as the Dorothy Parker of her time. Eve Babitz was author, artist, and socialite whose writing style has been widely acclaimed for its wit and insightfulness. She was best known for her works of non-fiction, including Sex and Rage and Slow Days, Fast Company, as well as her collections of short stories, L.A. Woman, Black Swans, and …

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Women’s Psychological Fiction? What’s That?

Laurel Osterkamp · February 25, 2023

Recently, I’ve made a habit of combing through Amazon’s book categories, in an effort to finesse my marketing efforts. That’s how I noticed the category, women’s psychological fiction. I’d heard of the psychological thrillers, and of course, of women’s fiction.

But women’s psychological fiction? Tell me more.

I did a bit of research, and this is what I found: Women’s psychological fiction is a genre of literature that explores the complexities of the female mind, …

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The Five Strongest Heroines from Modern American Novels, according to Chat GPT

Laurel Osterkamp · January 19, 2023

Has chat GPT taken the place of bloggers? To find out, I gave it a prompt similar to something I'd post about here on Laurellit.

The prompt: List and describe the five strongest  heroines from modern American novels.

Here was its response: Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – Katniss is a brave and resourceful young woman who is willing to risk her own life to save her family and friends. She …

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