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BRYN DONOVAN

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Category: Writing Matters

25 Cute Fall Writing Prompts!

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Bryn Donovan

  A couple of you requested fall writing prompts… and now that it’s autumn and I’m back to regular blogging, I’m happy to oblige!  These fall writing prompts are for a few different genres, including young adult, cozy fantasy, and romance. These are appropriate for teachers to use in classrooms, too. Some of them are specific to autumn, and some

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Writing Matters 9 Comments

It’s WIP Wednesday! Let’s See What You’re Writing!

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Bryn Donovan

It’s time to share our works in progress! I’ve barely blogged in the past month, because I’ve been working on my sequel, but I’m getting back into it this month and in the fall. And of course, I didn’t want to miss WIP Wednesday! I always decorate my house with sunflowers in August, so I did that with this post,

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Writing Matters 57 Comments

Pet Peeve List – 75 Examples!

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Bryn Donovan

  This pet peeve list is to help writers with character development. Every good character needs a quirk or two, and a pet peeve can be a great (and sometimes funny) one! We can learn a lot about a character from what gets on their nerves. Pet Peeve Definition A “peeve” is an annoyance or aggravation. A “pet peeve” means

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Writing Matters 11 Comments

Yay, It’s WIP Wednesday! Come Share Your Writing!

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Bryn Donovan

We’d love to see what you’re up to! Work in Progress Wednesday is usually the first Wednesday of the month, but it got bumped from last week due to the holidays. I’ll share an excerpt of what I’m working on, and you’re welcome to do the same in the comment section! Sometimes a long comment can be slow to load,

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Writing Matters 64 Comments

Let’s Talk About Writing Plus-Sized Characters

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Bryn Donovan

I have a lot of thoughts about writing plus size characters, both as a reader and as a full-time freelance book editor. Recently, it’s been on my mind a lot! One reason for this is that the heroine in my work in progress—the sequel to Her Knight at the Museum , in which she’s an important character—is full-figured. Her body

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Writing Matters 40 Comments

25 Funny Writing Prompts

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Bryn Donovan

You can use these funny writing prompts when writing a romantic comedy novel or script, a short story, or even a serious or scary story that could use a little levity in the middle of all the drama. Humor is one of those writing skills that takes a little work to learn, but using funny writing prompts is a great

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Writing Matters 9 Comments

Getting a Book Deal Was So Easy. Except It Wasn’t.

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Bryn Donovan

I don’t know if I should feel embarrassed by this post… Or proud of my determination. It’s about my years of struggles as an author before getting my first book deal with a major publisher. As writers, we don’t always talk about our failures and setbacks. Many of us deal with them as though they are crimes, dumping them into

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Writing Matters 48 Comments
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Author Bryn Donovan
Welcome! I'm an author, book editor, and optimist in the Chicago area. Thank you so much for visiting. I hope you'll subscribe to the blog so you'll never miss an inspiring post!

NO AI

I do not use so-called AI tools for any part of writing and creating. I don’t use images created with AI. Thank you for supporting human creativity!

get the ultimate writing resource used by many bestselling authors (the book) Master Lists for Writers: Gold Edition by Bryn Donovan (click button) Learn More

Top Posts

  • Medieval Female Names from England
  • Pet Peeve List - 75 Examples!
  • Medieval Male Names from England
  • Medieval Last Names from England
  • Master List of Facial Expressions
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  • Master List of Words to Describe Voices

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We don’t talk a lot about creative burnout that can lead to writer’s block or artist’s block. When we see other authors and creators sharing their successes, sometimes we don’t want to admit that we’re struggling! But almost all creative people suffer from creative burnout at one time or another, and it’s not always about discipline or determination. Sometimes, it’s about paying attention to the positive and being a whole lot nicer to ourselves. #burnout #writersblock #writingcommunity #writinglife
We went to the Northlight Theatre in Evanston—not a new theatre company, but a brand new facility. It even smelled new 😊 Mr. Donovan learned about it from reading @thedailyherald.
Some Halloween yard decorations near us in the Chicago suburbs! I’m not usually into spooky stuff, but I am so impressed by the effort and the creativity. And I had two jump scares 👻
What I’m reading this week for spooky season…or mostly rereading! I don’t usually read horror, but around this time every year, I make an exception. Do you read spooky stuff all year? Or just in October? Or not at all?
I’m on a boat! We took a little cruise on Lake Geneva to admire the autumn leaves and learn about the history of some of the mansions along the shore—the Wrigley houses, the Drake house, the founders of Singer sewing machines and Ande’s candies (like the chocolate mints)…a lot of Chicago history, even though we were in Wisconsin! #lakegeneva #boattour
I’m going to soak in all the gorgeousness of the next few weeks
As book editors, we work with writers ranging from NYT bestselling authors to first-time novelists. With a developmental edit, you’ll know exactly what to do to take the story to the next level…and with a copy edit, your writing style will be polished up to a mirror shine. We specialize in romance (all heat levels and all subgenres), mystery, thriller, fantasy, and young adult. We’d love to work with you! #bookeditor #copyediting #developmentalediting #luckyauthor
I think the novel US by David Nicholls is so ambitious because it tells the story of two relationships in such depth and breadth, over the course of so many years: Douglas’s relationship with Connie, his wife of 24 years, and his relationship with his son Albie, 17.
We had a wonderful breakfast with friends before getting on the road to go back to Chicago, but I’m concerned that nobody saw my fall brooch, so look at it 😂
adapted into the hallmark movie a knight to remember! the book her knight at the museum by bryn donovan learn more!
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