Holy Homesteading

My journey to working remotely

When I first started my search for a remote job, it was out of desperation. I needed to find a new job (for reasons mentioned in this blog post). I applied to so many jobs. Full-time and part-time. In Michigan and outside of the state. I just wanted something. Anything. I had phone interviews galore,Continue reading "My journey to working remotely"

Villains, Antagonists, and Baddies

Writers tend to slack on writing good bad guys. We do pages and pages of backstory on our main characters but our villains are cookie cutter. That really ought to change. Let's talk about the characters in a book that give the hero problems. Just like the hero there are also many types of villainsContinue reading "Villains, Antagonists, and Baddies"

How to Research Agents

You've written your book, polished it, and gone through rounds of editing. It's time to send your story out into the world to see if you can get an agent. But who do you send your story to? How do you choose? Carefully. I've talked before about what not to say to an agent. I'veContinue reading "How to Research Agents"

The Humble Filing Cabinet

The papers around, across, and under my desk area have become like snowbanks in summer drifting into other areas of my home. I'm lost in my own space and it's nearing the point of needing a snow shovel, in July. As I've gotten farther into my writing life I've realized my organization has not grownContinue reading "The Humble Filing Cabinet"

Goodbye from the Reference Desk

In the past two months, I have had to say goodbye to two part-time jobs in order to pursue one full-time job. Leaving both jobs was difficult. I'll miss my coworkers and the job duties. But mostly, I'm sad to leave the library patrons. I'm going to miss patron A who calls my by firstContinue reading "Goodbye from the Reference Desk"

A Bow to Editing Services

If you've been reading my posts for any length of time you'll have noticed that grammar rules and spelling are not in something I hold in spades. In fact, I'm down right atrocious. I do try but grammar and spelling are a constant struggle for me. Which is why I've decided to take the nextContinue reading "A Bow to Editing Services"

Building Your Bouquet of Stories

When I buy flower seeds I read the back of the package first. It tells me what kind of sunlight, soil, and climate this little seed needs to thrive. It also says how long it will take before I see any blooms, sometimes it takes months, a big investment. Like a flower, how do youContinue reading "Building Your Bouquet of Stories"

Protein smoothie without protein powder

When I crush a workout first thing in the morning, I feel awesome. And sweaty. And famished. When I don’t have time to break out the eggs and make an omelette, I break out my blender. I love my morning post-workout smoothies. My favorite smoothie involves chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, and peanut butter. YUM!Continue reading "Protein smoothie without protein powder"

Sweet Seven: A Picture Book Challenge

I'm fairly competitive and I also like teammates. So how's about a friendly challenge? For those of us writing picture books we have ideas floating around to infinity is seems, see last weeks post for more on that. So it hit me to put my ideas into a challenge. There are many ways to formatContinue reading "Sweet Seven: A Picture Book Challenge"

The 80/20 balance lie

If I workout 6 days a week, I’ll get stronger. If I work 5 days a week, I’ll be able to pay the bills and maybe even get a promotion. If I write 5 days a week, I deserve to rest over the weekend and still get my book ready for a publisher soon. IfContinue reading "The 80/20 balance lie"

A Fish Full of Ideas

Many years ago I bought a metal fish used to hold papers, letters, whatever, at a yard sale. It was so handsome I couldn't part with him move after move. I found him this week as I looked through boxes sorting trash from treasure. I've talked about ideas before and I often liken ideas toContinue reading "A Fish Full of Ideas"

A random hello from the Reference Desk

Hello. How are you today? I like your hair. It looks extra nice today. Hey. Are you okay? Do you need a hug? A random hello. A compliment. A smile. Genuine questions and concerns. A moment is brief, but it can create a lasting impression. Working in a library, I see a lot of differentContinue reading "A random hello from the Reference Desk"

Saving All My Favs

We save our favorite everything lately, photos, trinkets, cards, even emails. But what about your favorite agents? In all my agent watching there are some that stand out and resonate with me. In their behavior, their talk, and their hobbies. These are folks I'd like to be friends with and to do business with. ButContinue reading "Saving All My Favs"

A reason to continue writing – a pep talk

Life deals our characters a lot of crap. Okay.... We deal our characters a lot of crap. But why do we love them? Why do we keep writing their stories and rooting for them anyway? Because they make changes when life changes. They make life-altering, heart-throbbing, breath-catching changes. When someone breaks their heart, they planContinue reading "A reason to continue writing – a pep talk"

“Backup And No One Gets Hurt…”

Sounds like a line from any suspense or thriller book but I'm dead serious. Have you backed up your devises lately? I'm recovering from two months with a crashed computer. My fingers are twitchy from all the tiny keypads I've been using to keep writing. Don't be me. I think I had most things savedContinue reading "“Backup And No One Gets Hurt…”"

8 reasons why librarians are more than stereotypes

I've been working at a library for nearly two years now. When I started, I had zero experience in the library world and no clue about how much libraries do. So, to share a bit of knowledge I've learned on the job, here's a list of reasons why librarians are more than stereotypes: 1. Librarians processContinue reading "8 reasons why librarians are more than stereotypes"

8 Things NOT to Say to an Agent

After my latest writing group I realized how many queries I've sent over the years. How much digging I've done over and over again. And realized there are some common things that really tick agents off. Let me be really clear, this is not everyone. It's just what I see commonly on different social sites.Continue reading "8 Things NOT to Say to an Agent"

Don’t be afraid of periods.

Doyoueverwonderwhygrammarandspellingandpunctuationmatter? Somewhere, a teacher just fainted. Spacing, grammar, spelling, and, yes, punctuation matter. Not just because your former English teacher said so, but because all of these things provide clarity for the reader. The English language is very confusing sometimes, but that’s why it’s so important for writers to constantly improve their knowledge about grammar,Continue reading "Don’t be afraid of periods."

Map Progression

A few weeks ago I talked about using maps as a way to figure out plot. As I explore this process I want to go a little deeper with maps. Just like the story itself my maps tend to take a few drafts. My map evolves with my story, plot, and characters. It matters becauseContinue reading "Map Progression"

Pinterest Win or Fail: Map Picture Frames

I love crafts, but I have little patience for them. I usually make a craft once to prove that I can and then I never think about it again. I also craft with a purpose. I either want to create a decoration for an event, or a card or gift to give to someone. MyContinue reading "Pinterest Win or Fail: Map Picture Frames"