Diana X. Moga

Diana X. Moga
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Fellow Writers

Fellow Writers

The Killer Suspense of “Prom Night”

In the spirit of Halloween, I did a search for Jamie Lee Curtis movies and Peacock served up Prom Night. It was the teaser clip that hooked me: An early 20s Jamie Lee Curtis, dancing alone to the song in her head, arms high and graceful, body spinning, when her Read more…

By Diana, 3 monthsOctober 27, 2022 ago
Fellow Writers

How is Top Gun So Good?

The new Top Gun: Maverick blew me away. It’s so good! It was story telling magic just like the original 1986 Top Gun. When the final credits rolled it had me thinking, how the heck did they pull that off? Again!? If you’re like me and enjoy nerding-out on stories Read more…

By Diana, 8 monthsJune 17, 2022 ago
Book Picks

Pulp Novels Sell. Here’s a Pulp Novel ‘How To,’ Book

There’s lots of reasons to write pulp novels. One reason is that pulp novels sell, and a writer should never discount what readers want. If you’re a beginner looking for a quick book that will improve your storytelling, here is James Scott Bell’s book, “How to Write Pulp Fiction,” available Read more…

By Diana, 11 monthsMarch 9, 2022 ago
Fellow Writers

3 Simple Tips for a Novel-Rewrite

Here I will share with you my process for rewriting a novel, and it involves a quality notebook and set of good pens. I had every intention of finishing my rewrites before my kids left on spring break. As it happens March is too busy for me and life has Read more…

By Diana, 11 monthsMarch 4, 2022 ago
Fellow Writers

5 Practical Stages of the Writing Process

There are five stages in the writing process, and by the writing process, I mean the process that starts with an idea and ends with a manuscript you can pitch to a stranger. Like many things that are more art than science, these stages aren’t set in stone. Still, if Read more…

By Diana, 12 monthsFebruary 12, 2022 ago
Fellow Writers

Here’s a Challenge: Should I Read ‘The Hero’s Journey’?

Rather, should you read The Hero With A Thousand Faces? This book is where the Hero’s Journey concept originates. My answer: It depends. It’s a Friday afternoon in glorious Florida. The thermostat in my car read 83 degrees outside. I know this might sound hot, but to me, it’s just Read more…

By Diana, 12 monthsFebruary 4, 2022 ago
Fellow Writers

Big Five Science Fiction Tropes, Explained

Sure, there are probably more science fiction tropes, but here I’ve focused on five broad tropes and explained what each trope tries to explore in a sci-fi work. In each genre, there are conventions that readers expect to find. Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, General Fiction, non-fiction, and the Read more…

By Diana, 2 yearsJune 16, 2021 ago
Fellow Writers

Mistakes I Made Before Writing my Novel

There are things I wish I knew before writing my novel, hence I made some mistakes. While there’s a ton of advice out there this boils down to personal lessons learned. There’s a lot to learn from other people’s going around in circles so maybe, just maybe, you won’t have Read more…

By Diana, 2 yearsMay 20, 2021 ago
Fellow Writers

Metaphor, Figurative Language, and Silos

My parents have a patio that backs up against a small pond, surrounded by a forest preserve along the opposite side from where I’m sitting. It’s pretty, lush, and verdant (green!). The air conditioning unit just kicked on, and it’s drowning out the sounds of distant birds squawking (I haven’t Read more…

By Diana, 2 yearsAugust 27, 2020 ago
Fellow Writers

Handling Character Descriptions A La Tom Wolfe

I’d never been so happy to sit and watch Penny play soccer as I was the other day. The rain from earlier in the afternoon brought with it fresh tropical air and a blue-streaked sky, and it was good to sit back and watch the kids do normal kid things. Read more…

By Diana, 2 yearsAugust 12, 2020 ago

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Diana

Hi there. I'm a writer and reserve military officer with a day job. I write fiction, professional essays on military topics, and wax philosophical about books and movies. I live in Florida with my husband, two kids, and two cats.

Merry Christmas belated everyone! I ran the Marine Corps Marathon today with guys from my Command and Staff cohort. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful course. We trained remotely and did some motivating, complaining and commiserating in our chat group as Marines do. None of us beat our PME instructor’s time, but it was still a blast 🙌 Here we are at our local Chinese restaurant earlier today. Why my kids have both taken to this posing, I don’t know 😆. I hope you’re all doing well. We celebrated my mom’s birthday today (she is also named Diana), and my uncle’s birthday, with a combo birthday cake. Penny took this photo of me in the patio. Happy anniversary to us ❤️Even though today is a pretty regular day, it’s a good day all the same. Here’s to sticking together through ups and downs, thick and thin. PME complete ✅ Happy Sunday, all. I have been sequestering myself from the internet these past few weeks as I focus on finishing this draft of my manuscript. If social medial taps into our instant gratification, reptile-brain, then book writing calls upon our think-deeply-on-something-forever-and-ever-until-something-clicks, brain. I did some work for the Marine Corps this weekend, here I am with my hubs and straight-faced child after I showed up for my dad’s birthday party. Be well 🙌. Happy Monday, all. I finished reading, “Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet,” this morning. I recommend it if you’ve every been curious about the internet. Blum goes through the history of the internet by way of all the internet’s physical locations. It’s surprisingly refreshing. For a space that feels so abstract, the internet is anything but. I’ve been reading this book lately and I’m only half- way through because it’s kind of a slog. But this is THE book, they say, about character archetypes and the mono myth. This is just a fancy way of saying that all stories are the same. I dig it. I buy the argument. Still all the mythology is a lot to take in, but it’s a must read if you’re into character archetypes and such.
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