At times, I engage with it deliberately for impact.

At others, I’m unaware of my REPETITIONS.

Regardless, REPETITION should always be used on purpose – even if only for humour.

To find out more about how to improve your writing by finding and making choices about the repetition in your writing, head on over to Ascribe Writers where I am a guest blogger.

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING – A FOCUS ON REPETITION by Donna Curtin

The art of writing isn’t just about art. It’s also about skill. Sure, perhaps you have been inspired to share your stories and get a novel published, but there is a big difference between jotting down a few journal entries and being sufficiently accomplished and persistent enough to get published.

Published authors have worked incredibly hard to hone their craft. Acquiring the competences needed to draft a novel that readers can’t put down, sparking imaginations and poking dusty hearts, is much more than an overnight trick.

5 Ways to Improve Your Writing – A Focus on Repetition

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I’M A WINNER and I’m announcing THE WINNERS to my contest, so read on.

Thank you for sponsoring my participation in the 2022 Muskoka Novel Marathon. Your overwhelming support helped me to raise much needed funds for adult literacy programs. Thanks to you, I was honoured with the Remington Award (for the writer who raises the most funds) by raising raising $1,270 from 27 donors.

I’m also thrilled to announce my novel writing creation won an Honourable Mention in the Best Novel-Adult Category. If you would like to know more about my novel writing experience, head over to my Ascribe blog. Here’s a small taste of what my latest manuscript is all about…

Further to raising funds to support important work in adult literacy, I’m pleased to announce that I wrote over 70 pages (that’s about 17,000 words) over the marathon and I can’t wait to get back at it!

Okay. Now for the fun part… my contest winners!

For every $10 donation to support adult literacy, your name was added to TWO separate draws. You should have seen me with all these snippets of paper, with doodled names, stuffed into jars! What a great procrastination project!

There are THREE WINNERS from the first draw. I’ll provide the winner with a character sketch and they will pick the name of a major character for my new novel.

• BERNICE MARSH
• CHRISTINE COGLAN
• SEANA MOORHEAD

And for the final draw, and the winner of a dozen Cupcakes By Hope…. the winner is…

• LAUREN MADER!

Thank you once again for your support.

I will be reaching out to the winners shortly to finalize the details.

The post Announcing the WINNERS! appeared first on Donna Curtin.

              It means I’m going in another marathon! Full transparency, I’m going to use puppies to draw you in, and cupcakes to seal your donation! I have 3 things to tell you.

1. I’m going in a marathon to raise money.
2. You can win prizes if you donate.
3. I’m asking for your donation in return for sharing my veterinary knowledge.

  #1) THE MARATHON I’ve been training hard.   (plotting, dreaming up character motivations, and imagining the most vivid setting) I’ll be sweating and pushing myself to the distance.    (staying up late, cramping my hands, and focusing for hours on end) All to raise money for a great cause!       ADULT LITERACY

  Catch something odd here? You’re right, this isn’t a classic marathon. I’m not going to run thirty kilometres or skip jump-rope for hours on end. I’m going to write! I’m entered in the Muskoka Novel Marathon to raise money for adult literacy. I’ll be writing for 3 days straight, in a writing marathon in support of adult literacy. If you are ready to support now, please go to my donation page. Still reading? How about a random kitten picture??? Will that do the trick? Photo credit to Hope Elphick.   #2. PRIZES As a further incentive, I’m offering PRIZES!

If you donate, you will be entered into TWO randomized draws!

For every $10 donation, you will have a ballot entered to NAME A CHARACTER in my new novel, and one lucky individual will win a dozen cupcakes – hand made by the incredible, CUPCAKES by HOPE.

I’m currently plotting, brainstorming, molding characters and motivations to write a new novel over an extended weekend. Of course, I won’t finish, and it will be in very rough, first draft form! But it will be the spark of a great story. Ready to donate now?

    #3) A TRADE FOR YOUR QUESTION Full transparency–for the final push–I’m going to lay on the guilt! Thick! I spend a great deal of time graciously sharing my veterinary skills and knowledge outside of work hours. So, if I’ve answered your phone call to discuss your dog’s vomit or looked at photos of your cat’s broken tooth… then it’s time to pay up! If you hear from me personally, I’m strongly hinting for donations to support this great cause.

I see you!

I keep a list of everyone who I discuss, email or text with about their veterinary dilemmas… especially in the evening or over weekends. Unless you were in my office, as a registered patient, during work hours… you are on my list!  If we discussed the medical condition of your pet, or your uncle’s dog, or your friend’s horse after hours, then your name is on my list and it’s time to pay up!

Your invoice is coming in the form of a plea to support a good cause.

PLEASE DONATE!   I’ll admit it, I’m looking forward to the writing portion of this marathon. I have a killer concept and as the setting is colouring into my imagination, I’m beginning to hear the voices of my characters squabbling and I can’t wait to begin!

Thank you kindly for your support!

Donna

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