Author Archives: dhallaj

About dhallaj

Founder of S & H Publishing, Inc. and author of four novels, Dixiane holds a PhD in Literacy and Adult Learning from George Mason University. She lives in rural Northern Virginia with her husband of 55 years and her cat named Dog.

Enhance Your Character With Backstory

Posted on January 27, 2023 by dhallaj

Take your characters to the next level and make them truly stand out. One of the best ways to do this is to incorporate compelling backstory into your character development. Introduction – What is Character Development? Character development is the … Continue reading →

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Which way is best?

Posted on December 1, 2021 by dhallaj

We all want to be as efficient as possible when writing. Our most valuable resource is time. Our time is irreplaceable. The clock is always ticking and it always moves forward. Is it better to put words on the page … Continue reading →

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Naming Characters? Be kind to your readers

Posted on October 15, 2021 by dhallaj

Not long ago I was concerned that I might not be able to fulfill my New Years’ Resolution of reading 21 books in 2021. One of the reasons for this was the relatively large number of books I did not … Continue reading →

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Writing Short Stories

Posted on August 22, 2021 by dhallaj

Some writers love writing short stories. They love the attention to detail. They love the master stroke of a twist at the end. Other writers decry the lack of space to develop character and intricate plots. Whichever camp you belong … Continue reading →

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Blog of Accountability

Posted on April 17, 2021 by dhallaj

My last blog announced two New Years Resolutions. I haven’t given up or abandoned them…yet. However, I have been procrastinating writing this blog of accountability, hoping to be able to announce a stellar performance. Three stars is not exactly stellar. … Continue reading →

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