Okay, true story. Tonight while I was sitting down to edit a short story, two weeks snuck up behind me and hit me in the back of the head. Ack, how could it be time for a new blog post again already? So, I'm kind of cheating. Here's an expanded version of a post I … Continue reading 9 Ways to Find Brilliant Story Ideas
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Three Reasons to Celebrate Your Writing Achievements
Hello, friends! Long time no write. Sometimes I can rationalize being late on my blog posts... Well, I only committed to twice a month, and even though it's been two weeks it's not technically the middle of the month yet... Ahem, not this time. It's been three weeks and it's definitely not July 15th. But sometimes life … Continue reading Three Reasons to Celebrate Your Writing Achievements
It’s July! Time for a Mid-Year Progress Report
Somebody pinch me. Is it already halfway through 2018? Where did the year go?? Seeing as how time seems to be flying past at twice its normal rate, I figured it's time to check in on the writing goals I set back in January and evaluate my progress. I confess, I had to reread my … Continue reading It’s July! Time for a Mid-Year Progress Report
The Hows and Whys of Critique Partners and Beta Readers
One of the things I love about this blog is being able to share things I'm learning and hopefully help other writers. Today I want to talk about two things that mystified me as a new writer--critique partners and beta readers. It's exhilarating to finish that first draft and type "The End." Then you let … Continue reading The Hows and Whys of Critique Partners and Beta Readers
How to Create a Killer Novel Aesthetic
Hello, friends! If you're a writer who hangs around on social media, no doubt you've heard the term novel aesthetic bandied about by other writers. When I first started on Twitter, I'd see hashtag games asking writers to share an aesthetic, and then a whole string of tweets full of gorgeous pictures. But what is … Continue reading How to Create a Killer Novel Aesthetic
The Three W’s of Creating Your Own Publishing Imprint
Hello, friends! I'm so excited to be able to share with you something that's been in the works in my household for the past several months--my husband (also a writer) and I have decided to launch our own publishing imprint, Goldenwood Press, LLC. Today I want to walk you through the whys and hows of … Continue reading The Three W’s of Creating Your Own Publishing Imprint
Author Platforms, Pen Names, and Writing in Multiple Genres
As many of you might know about me, I not only love reading many different kinds of stories, I enjoy writing in more than one genre too. But this kind of variety (indecision?) can be a double-edged sword--while fun, it makes selling and marketing your books a lot more tricky. The tried and true plan … Continue reading Author Platforms, Pen Names, and Writing in Multiple Genres
A Crash Course on Wooden Sailing Ships for Writers
Hello, friends! I'm so excited about today's topic, because it means I get to dust off my very dusty nautical archaeology degree to talk about the basics of wooden sailing ships. Why might this be of interest to you? Well, if you're a writer, and your character is ever going to set foot on a … Continue reading A Crash Course on Wooden Sailing Ships for Writers
You Can Break the Rules If You’re Victor Hugo
Hello, friends! Some of you might recall that I read The Brothers Karamazov last year with a book club (homeschool moms are way too ambitious, sometimes). This year we've decided to up the ante--apparently 800 pages wasn't long enough---so now we're reading Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, which checks in at a whopping 1460 pages for the … Continue reading You Can Break the Rules If You’re Victor Hugo
5 Writing Goals You Should Seriously Consider for the New Year
Let's talk about writing, and specifically how you can improve your writing life this coming year.