Category Archives: Writing

Drawing a Blank Can Be A Good Thing

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Better than a destructive, bridge-burning eruption! In early 2015 I wrote about the value of having multiple impartial parties critique and edit your writing. You, as the writer, are too close to see your writing clearly. At the time, I had just … Continue reading →

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VALUE OF TAKING TIME OFF

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Studies have shown that people who take periodic vacations – and give themselves permission to leave work behind during those vacations – are more productive than people who slog along no matter how tired or fried they are. That doesn’t … Continue reading →

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Snowflakes In A Blizzard

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

This is for all of the writers out there who sometimes feel like a snowflake in a blizzard of books all vying for attention (and dollars) of the buying public. Last year, former journalist Darrell Laurent started a blog specifically … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

PROGRESS WITH 2016 WRITING GOALS

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Greetings from frigid upstate New York! This weekend we are anticipating Minus 40 degrees with wind chill! The Good News: I guess you might say I’ve learned something about my lifestyle over the past six weeks. The Bad News: I … Continue reading →

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A New Opening for Gram & Me!

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Thanks to the eye-opening comments of a friend who is not afraid to provide an honest critique, I have revised the opening pages of Gram & Me. Continue reading →

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REVISITING THE CLASSICS FOR INSIGHTS AND INSPIRATION

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Some of you may recall a recent post of mine when I described my experience with a scathing critique of my newly completed novel. And actually deep-sixed the novel since it seemed unredeemable, based on the extent of the criticisms. … Continue reading →

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WRITING DREAM COMES TRUE…BUT THE PRESSURE’S ON!

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

All my life I’ve dreamed of the day when I would be free to write full time. Fitting writing in around working more than full time and juggling home and family was a challenge. And more times than not, writing … Continue reading →

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RECOVERING FROM A SCATHING CRITIQUE

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

In my last post I talked about the value of multiple eyes on your writing. I’ve always believed in the importance of objectivity to assess a creative work, because the creator is too close to see it clearly. When I … Continue reading →

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THE VALUE OF MULTIPLE SETS OF EYES

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

No, I’m not describing a fantasy character with lots of eyes. I’m talking about the importance of having multiple people view your manuscript before you consider it ready to shop for an agent or publish it yourself. Maybe I’m stating … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing, Publishing, Self Publishing, Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

TRANSITIONS IS DONE!

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Well, sort of. Last Saturday I finished the first complete draft of Transitions, my third novel and the first in a three-book series! It is a draft because, while much of it has been edited, the last part (which I … Continue reading →

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