Are all writers bad at blogging or just me?

I write things constantly that the blog gets neglected. Sorry!

Deadlines and Due Dates

As I am currently unrepresented by an agent and editor-less, I have to establish my own deadlines. Here's why this is a challenge: I started my career in news, which consisted of constant deadlines from like, 50 sources. By the time I left news for good a few years ago, I seriously had not ever … Continue reading Deadlines and Due Dates →

Goals: Achieved and Set

I set the rather auspicious goal of completing a totally new manuscript over winter break, which was about two weeks. I didn't start from scratch- I had a solid outline I'd been tweaking off and on for a few months and a few thousand words. I figured if I had first mess of a draft … Continue reading Goals: Achieved and Set →

Outline Outline Who’s Got the Outline

The last few NaNoWriMos I've participated in, as well as all the manuscripts I've written to date, have been "pantser" novels. As in "fly by the seat of my pants" novels. As in, "sit down at the keyboard and hope something comes out" novels. Lucky for me, things have been coming out. Well, they had … Continue reading Outline Outline Who’s Got the Outline →

The Thing About Query Letters

I powered through and finished hot mess #1. I like it! I feel good about it! It's a book I would like to read, and would have adored and probably read over and over when I was in middle/high school. But now, in order to get other people to read it and hopefully make money … Continue reading The Thing About Query Letters →

Reading the Genre

The day I discovered that I could run and listen to audiobooks at the same time was life changing. I subscribed to Audible that day. It's a little shameful, actually. My library's free app, Hoopla, got me started on audiobooks and I don't know why I made the switch from complimentary to an app that … Continue reading Reading the Genre →

Squeezing In the Revisions

I used to write first thing in the morning. It was quite a delightful routine, truth be told. I'd wake up at 5, let the dog out, feed the cat, make myself a cup of tea, and then settle in to write for about an hour. Eventually the cat would join me and insist I … Continue reading Squeezing In the Revisions →

When Are Workshops Helpful?

“And what about those [writers' workshop] critiques, by the way? How valuable are they? Not very, in my experience, sorry. A lot of them are maddeningly vague. I love the feeling of Peter's story,someone may say. It had something... a sense of I don't know... there's a loving kind of you know... I can't exactly describe it.... … Continue reading When Are Workshops Helpful? →

The Five Stages of NaNoWriMo

Most writers, being studies of the human condition, have a working knowledge of the 5 Stages of Grief. They are: Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance These are not necessarily in order of chronology or importance, but there they are. They also apply to most emotional tragedy or loss beyond death, such as a bad break … Continue reading The Five Stages of NaNoWriMo →

NaNoWriMo2017: My Tools of the Trade

I love writing, I truly do. So why does it sometimes feel like such a chore?! While I ruminate on blaming public school (because why not?) I want to share with you a couple of tools that have helped me stay focused and/or motivated. While writing: Write or Die If you're anything like me, the … Continue reading NaNoWriMo2017: My Tools of the Trade →