The eternally-wise "they" say that you get rejected 99 times before you get a buy in on your novel or submitted piece of work. But even knowing this intellectually, getting a pass on a manuscript still sucks. For me, the first couple were a particular drag. It's like getting dumped after the first date. On … Continue reading Query Rejections
After spending a few years playing around with the idea of writing fantasy (and then writing several fantasy manuscripts that I wound up shelving) I decided to go all in with contemporary YA. I knew by the first outline that I was a stronger writer in contemporary YA, I'm going to credit (blame?) my first … Continue reading Fantasy vs. Contemporary
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
My fiancee and I joke that I need to "practice relaxing." Unfortunately, it's one of those jokes that's funny because it's true. I tend to cram every spare second with some kind of obligation. 90% of the time, they're stuff I want to do: professional networking, friends, family, personal goals like writing or running. I'm … Continue reading Writing and Relaxing
My family is a big believer in routines, as most humans are. My mom used to start every morning on the couch drinking a cup of hot tea and watching The Weather Channel. This was complimentary to my morning routine, which involved rolling out of bed at the last possible moment, so I regularly shouted, … Continue reading A Writer’s Routine
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
This weekend, I planned, booked, and paid for two weeks away from my house. I am very fortunate to have an employer with very generous leave policies and I don't gain anything from not taking allotted time off, so I'm resolved to use all of it this year. The first trip is my elopement/honeymoon. My … Continue reading A Tale of Two Vacations
