Talkfest Blog

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Anne Marie Duquette

Contest Winner Spotlights Others’ Accomplishments

I’ve been companions with canines for 50 years. Two of them were my mobility service dogs as I’m a disabled veteran, and I’ve had others as pets. Since 1988, I’ve worked at home as a…

Contest News | May 24, 2024

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DWAA

Editing Tips

Here at the Ruff Drafts editorial desk, we spend our time reviewing and editing your submissions. We try to keep your story and voice intact while catching grammatical faux pas, misspellings and typos. It’s not…

Tips & Tactics | May 22, 2024

Featured image for “Tom Lonsdale, BVetMed MRCVS, Challenging the Status Quo”
Anne Marie Duquette

Tom Lonsdale, BVetMed MRCVS, Challenging the Status Quo

Thank you to all at DWAA for staging the competition and then providing generous peer group recognition for www.ThePetFoodCon.com and Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud. Dogs have been telling us for long enough, but mostly trivialized…

Contest News | May 20, 2024

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Anne Marie Duquette

Neil S. Plakcy, Serial Mystery Writer

I have been a dog lover since I was a little boy, and a dog dad for the last 25 years. I like to tell people that I spend hours every day researching my books—walking…

Contest News | May 16, 2024

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Merrie Meyers

Book Promotion Planning

Over the years, I’ve marveled at how accomplished our members are. So many books are published by our prolific community in such a short time! Many of the books are self-published, or produced by small…

Tips & Tactics | May 15, 2024

Featured image for “Kay Stevens and Beth Kerber, Cross Country Collaboration”
Anne Marie Duquette

Kay Stevens and Beth Kerber, Cross Country Collaboration

I’d been herding with Border collies for about 10 years when Kay Stephens approached me about writing a book. I said “Yes.” I saw a need for a book that looked at sheepdog training through…

Contest News | May 13, 2024

Featured image for “Barbara Buchmayer, Positive Herding Techniques”
Anne Marie Duquette

Barbara Buchmayer, Positive Herding Techniques

Thanks to DWAA and all the members and judges who donated their time to make this contest happen. I have a farm background and my main dog sport addiction is herding. My first two books…

Contest News | May 9, 2024

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DWAA

20 Tips to Help You Improve Your Writing

Writing is an art that requires a mastery of tools. Technology can be an asset or an annoyance for writers. But with a slew of tools out there, finding the ones that fit your needs…

Tips & Tactics | May 8, 2024

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Anne Marie Duquette

Jen Reeder, Celebrating Freelance Success

I was extra excited since it’s the first year this award has been offered. I love watching the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving with my dogs, and I love therapy dogs. In fact, the reason…

Contest News | May 6, 2024

Featured image for “Pam Atherstone, Rescue Advocate”
Anne Marie Duquette

Pam Atherstone, Rescue Advocate

Rescue groups are a cause close to my heart, and I wanted to give back in a unique way to educate youngsters about them. Except for my horse, who was born in my pasture, all…

Contest News | May 2, 2024

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Merrie Meyers

Ten Graphic Mistakes to Avoid in Marketing Pieces

Many DWAA members design their own promotional materials. In 2005, Robert W. Bly published “The Content Marketing Handbook” to help writers increase the appeal of their work. This article summarizes the 10 most common graphic…

Tips & Tactics | May 1, 2024

Featured image for “Paula Piatt, Lab Lover”
Anne Marie Duquette

Paula Piatt, Lab Lover

Labrador retrievers have been part of our family for almost 40 years, and we’ve seen their health issues, their quirks, and their unconditional love. Having been through so much with them and having the ability…

Contest News | April 29, 2024