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A Prisoner of Hope
Offering hope and encouragement for life, writing, and living a thoughtful life.

A Prisoner of Hope
Offering hope and encouragement for life, writing, and living a thoughtful life.
I post the first and third Tuesday of the month.
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Efforts = Accomplishment, now don't forget that!
Rome wasn't built in a day. Slow and steady wins the race. Little strokes fell great oaks. You've heard those sayings before. They endure...

Megan DiMaria
Feb 6, 20181 min read
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What do readers to hear while they're reading?
I know of authors who listen to certain soundtracks while they're writing to inspire them to write with emotion or to add authenticity to...

Megan DiMaria
Jan 30, 20182 min read
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Why reading fiction is good for you
I have always been addicted to reading fiction. Books have taken me to other worlds and have helped me to figure out my world. When you...

Megan DiMaria
Jan 23, 20181 min read
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Keys to creating a happy marriage
What were you doing 39 years ago last Saturday? I was starting the rest of my life. At the time, I thought I was all grown up. But...

Megan DiMaria
Jan 16, 20184 min read
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A Writer's Prayer for You
We're into the new year. So many folks are clinging to resolutions and goals. Myself? I like to start the year with a prayer—one I'm...

Megan DiMaria
Jan 9, 20181 min read
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Happy 2018!
Wishing you a year filled with much love, delightful surprises, and satisfying accomplishments. God bless you, friends!...

Megan DiMaria
Jan 2, 20181 min read
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A precious Christmas thought—Divine Humanity!
At this beautiful time of year, I wish you a thrill of joy. . . For as long as I can remember, my mother put this reproduction antique...

Megan DiMaria
Dec 26, 20172 min read
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A singular decision that changed EVERYTHING
Thirty-nine years ago this week I made a simple decision that changed everything for me—I became a Christ follower. I was raised in a...

Megan DiMaria
Dec 19, 20172 min read
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What Christmas should NOT be about
Friends, remember what the holiday season IS about: celebrating Christmas—the birth of our Savior. It's not about Santa, Rudolph, and...

Megan DiMaria
Dec 12, 20171 min read
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Why plot holes are a big deal
I love to get caught up in the fictional dream, and one of the worst things that can happen is a gaping plot hole. It doesn't matter if...

Megan DiMaria
Nov 28, 20172 min read
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Tips for having a stress-free holiday season
Welcome to the 2017 holiday season. It's the most wonderful time of the year. Right? If so, then why are so many of us stressed and...

Megan DiMaria
Nov 14, 20173 min read
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Grocery-store blues or how to find perspective in frustrating circumstances
It’s confession time. I don’t like grocery shopping. At all. I just returned home from doing my grocery shopping, and if I were a...

Megan DiMaria
Oct 31, 20171 min read
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Have a little fun, and check out these unusual word facts.
This post serves no purpose other than to allow people a moment to say, "Hmm." And sometimes that's a good thing. Enjoy! 'Stewardesses'...

Megan DiMaria
Oct 24, 20171 min read
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Want to know what your problem is?
I'm one of those folks who seem to be able to strike up unusual conversations with strangers. Today I was thinking about this encounter...

Megan DiMaria
Oct 17, 20172 min read
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Don't waste pretty words. File them away!
Writers, do you keep a pretty-word file? Sometimes a description hits the spot exactly. When that happens in a novel I’m reading, I often...

Megan DiMaria
Oct 10, 20172 min read
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Life is hard, and it's okay to be sad
"How are you?" "I'm fine. Thanks for asking." —Really?— When asked how we are, most of us have a knee-jerk reaction and parrot the...

Megan DiMaria
Oct 3, 20172 min read
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Yes, writers WILL put you in their novel.
Inspiration—it comes from everywhere for an author. To be a good writer, you need to be a good observer. You need to be aware and take...

Megan DiMaria
Sep 19, 20174 min read
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A Word of Encouragement for Writers
Friends, this is as much for me as for you. While you're here, take a moment, go to the main page of my blog, and find some encouragement...

Megan DiMaria
Aug 29, 20171 min read
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When a shared celestial experience eclipses our differences.
Did you experience it yesterday? No, I'm not talking about the eclipse—although that was pretty spectacular, wasn't it? I noticed it...

Megan DiMaria
Aug 22, 20171 min read
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The Need for Grace and Second Chances, part two
Second chances. There comes a time when we all need one. After all, who’s perfect? Lately I’ve been thinking about second chances in...

Megan DiMaria
Aug 15, 20172 min read
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