IWSG Day: Rebellious Character Surprises!

The first Wednesday of every month, the IWSG posts an optional question, encouraging members to read and comment on each other’s blogs. August’s Question is: Has your writing ever taken you by surprise? For example, a positive and belated response to a submission you’d forgotten about or an ending you never saw coming? For me,…

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Writing Questions: The Good, The Bad, and The Awkward.

The first Wednesday of every month, the IWSG posts an optional question, encouraging members to read and comment on each other’s blogs. January 2: What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about your writing?   The Good: I love answering questions about writing and publishing. How did you decide to write…

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YA: Teens First, Adults who are Young (or young at heart), Second

A few days ago, I read The Many Ways YA Books & The Community Isolates Teens by VICKY WHO READS. It was a thought provoking blog post about Young Adult (YA) fiction that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how teens are isolated from the books that are supposed for them. Because adults are the…

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The Evolution of a Character (or a career)

I’ve lived my entire life with characters and stories in my head. Some were as original as anything can be while others were fan-fictions that never escaped my maze of a mind long enough to be put on paper. After watching  Xena: Warrior Princess, I’d run around the house with music blasting. The living room…

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Publishing Paths: Roads go ever ever on (I hope).

I’ve missed a few months, but today, I realized it was  Insecure Writer’s Support Group Blog Hop Day before the day was over. The first Wednesday of every month, the IWSG posts an optional question, encouraging members to read and comment on each other’s blogs. September’s Question is: What publishing path are you considering/did you…

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Twitter Pitch Parties Are About More Than Just The Likes

When seeking an agent or publisher for a novel, I participate in every twitter pitch party I get the chance to. So far, no one “like” or “heart” has landed me an agent or a book deal, but I still participate. They help me figure out what agents like the kind of stories I write, and…

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How an editor made my day.

This year, I had high hopes for #DVpit. I’d just finished polishing a new manuscript. My query was in good shape. I’d struggled with my pitches, but thought I finally had them down. I scheduled them, went to work, and tried to not to sneak peeks at twitter between each student I tutored. My try…

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Beta Readers & Remembering my Characters are NOT me.

Good beta readers and critique partners are essential for writers, not just because they make individual manuscripts stronger, but also because they can make writers aware of problematic patterns. My beta readers often comment that my characters don’t react or show emotion to big things – like finding out demons exits, losing a loved one,…

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National Novel Writing Month: 2017

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are changing color, the days are getting short, and it’s almost time to embark on an adventure: National Novel Writing Month. Last year, I wrote a romantic sci-fi thriller about a hacker and a small town boy on the run from some government contractors. After a few…

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Story Harvest

My summer of words may be over, but the fruits of my hard work are ripening. I may have picked my last summer squash and soy beans last month, but the peppers are finally changing color, the carrots are fat and the corn is tall. Writing isn’t that different from gardening. The first drafts are planted seeds.…

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