Only a couple of pages to edit and I’ll be done with my first novel! Okay, technically, this is not the first novel I’ve written but, it’s my first potentially publishable novel. I’ve been working on this one for at least 7 years. Fortunately, it’s now a part of a series so I don’t have to say goodbye…
I attended a workshop over the weekend on how to develop your 2-minute elevator pitch and confirmed two things I really wanted to avoid. I’ve developed my professional brand to help me get another job. Now, apparently, I need my “writer” brand. It took me a month to come up with my first brand statement, I am…
Characters have been fleshed out, the world building is done, the story arch is set- now, my novel is writing itself. My characters are telling me what they would say or do in this situation. The world is showing me what would happen next. It’s telling me the powers don’t work that way, they work this…
I just finished reading The Guardian by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It was an interesting story. I might have to check out her other books. What bothered me about the story, though, were the pop culture references. I don’t like them in my fiction, especially not my fantasy. They pull me out of the story. They date the book….
I used to make New Years Resolutions, don’t anymore. I never keep them. I have goals for the year. Hmm, is there a different? To me, goals sound more…tangible. Since I’m finished with school, I have a lot of planning to do. You know the whole- what do I do now kind of thing. Fortunately, I’ve…
It’s easy to get caught up in the big picture of your novel and forget your character is wearing a watch for no reason. I was so zoned in on figuring out things like power and back story, I didn’t realize that although I had gotten rid of most indoor plumbing in my village, a…
My mind can sometimes be my enemy. I’m looking at this blank blog post and nothing is coming to mind. This is odd. I always have a story to tell. I’m building scenes while trying to sleep or concentrate on something other than my stories. I grew up but my imagination didn’t. Something as simple as a dog dish…
I’ve gotten too comfortable with my writing. Need to do something about that. In a short story I wrote recently, my characters did a lot of chuckling, eye rolling and frowning. Nothing wrong with this, right? It is when they’re used out of pure laziness. I couldn’t think of another way to show annoyance or…
I read often the way to deal with rejection is to remember they’re rejecting the story not me. I understood that but my current short story got me thinking, for some reason. That sort of reasoning is far too practical. I’m going to file it under easier said than done. I might go as far…
Journal writing dug into my soul and pulled out things I never knew about myself. Writing all thoughts, never lifting pen from paper, helped me sort through some emotions. I stopped journaling awhile ago, though, and focused on stories. Writing, no matter the form, is therapy right? The answer isn’t that simple. For me, it…
