Holy Homesteading

4 reasons to do NaNoWriMo

I get it. You're too busy. You don't have time. You're worried you won't even come close to writing 50,000 words. There's always going to be something standing in the way of our writing time. Life doesn't make time for us, so we have to set the time aside for ourselves and our stories. IfContinue reading "4 reasons to do NaNoWriMo"

A Chilling Tale

Being so near to Halloween I've had scary thoughts floating around in my head. So when Brandon Ide contacted me about doing a photo story together I couldn't resist. You can check out The Ides Photography Blog and see his amazing photos for yourself. Brandon's photo of The Auction House Cafe inspired the following tale.Continue reading "A Chilling Tale"

Flipping Cliches

We've all done it, see there I just did. I used a cliche. A common phrase or string of words that most folks like us understand. it's good to be understood. The problem is, cliches are boring. So let's take some examples and flip them. What we are hoping to do is convey the sameContinue reading "Flipping Cliches"

Distractions in the Forest

When I first started working from home, I struggled with distraction. Every 20 minutes I'd find a dog to pet, dishes or clothes to wash, or something shiny to look at. My phone would buzz and I would check it, only to be on it for 15 more minutes, scrolling away when I should beContinue reading "Distractions in the Forest"

Scene by Scene

After working on nearly a dozen picture books over the last year I want to go back into a longer story. I dusted off one I had a good start to (I've talked about before) and dove in. While I know first drafts are not worth sharing I couldn't help myself and let a few readContinue reading "Scene by Scene"

3 things to avoid as a new writer

Sheep are cute and fluffy. They are very useful in many ways, which is why farmers have raised them for thousands of years. But sheep aren’t something we should aspire to be. Yet, many writers, especially new writers, struggle with many temptations. Temptations of becoming sheep. Here are 3 things to avoid as a new (orContinue reading "3 things to avoid as a new writer"

Favorite Middle Grade Book Quotes

I've been compiling a book full of best quotes for years. When I find one I add it to the pile. I've noticed a trend of having quite a few from books from the middle grade reading level. Here they are and I hope you have as much joy in them as I do. “TheContinue reading "Favorite Middle Grade Book Quotes"

5 things they don’t tell you about working from home

Working from home is amazing, but like any other job, it has its own unique challenges. Before I started this journey a few months ago, all I wanted to do was spend more time at home. I loved my coworkers, but I was physically exhausted and mentally drained most of the time from working 50-60Continue reading "5 things they don’t tell you about working from home"

Expanding Vocabulary Or Not…

I had admiral goals when I stated to my critique partner that I wanted to expand my vocabulary. The issue was in execution. Read the dictionary, was the first thing we thought of. Then realized that retention of those words would be dismal. We'd have to create an exercise to make the words become organicContinue reading "Expanding Vocabulary Or Not…"

Fighting Turnover

Do you ever start a story and somewhere in the middle it turns on you? Maybe you plotted an idea, but there's a loophole and suddenly what you planned doesn't work. Or maybe you started writing as a happy pantser, but now you're stuck in the corner of the room you created, paintbrush in hand,Continue reading "Fighting Turnover"

Pimp My Playset: Finished (nearly)

So it's been a few years since I talked about upgrading our play set in the backyard. Let's just say it's been low on the priority totem pole. But this summer it finally happened. I didn't follow my plans exactly from my last post but the effort has been valiant. Here's how I transformed ourContinue reading "Pimp My Playset: Finished (nearly)"

How to prepare for NaNoWriMo in 7 steps

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is on the horizon. I know, I know. It's more than a month away, but it will be upon us before we know it. Okay, so maybe I'm a NaNo geek. Out of three attempts in the past three years, I've won all three. I'm surprised I won my firstContinue reading "How to prepare for NaNoWriMo in 7 steps"

A Note On Perseverance

If you've been rejected by a person, a job, a college, or anything else you'd set your heart on having, you understand what it means to be a writer. Dealing with rejection is normal on multiple levels and in different ways. You can be rejected by the reader at any point. Whether it's the firstContinue reading "A Note On Perseverance"

Maple Brussels Sprouts and Eggs

Brussels sprouts, meet breakfast.

An Editor For That Mess-uscript

Each of us have strengths when it comes to evaluating writing. Do you know what yours are? Here are the types of editors. You can hire one and you can work on being one for yourself and others. Developmental Editor- looks for big picture problems like plot, structure, characters, pacing, and world building. Line EditorContinue reading "An Editor For That Mess-uscript"

The big move and why it matters

My husband and I recently packed up our furniture, dogs, and belongings, and moved to a little tourist town three hours north of where we both grew up. Why? To pursue new opportunities. Everything has fallen in place for this change. My husband got a new job and we got a house to rent withinContinue reading "The big move and why it matters"

Creative Abandon with Signs

So I may be in a slump with writing. I've got ideas and words are being written but a Twitter fight has left me a bit scared to share my stories. THIS IS AWFUL. I mean why am I so upset? Mostly because the fight wasn't rational, it wasn't even about what was IN myContinue reading "Creative Abandon with Signs"

9 Ways to Make Writing Fun for Kids

Kids are so smart and creative, it blows me away. Last week I had the honor of teaching a word camp for kids 9-12 at Alvan N. Belding Memorial Library. It was the best experience I've had all summer. We took some extra steps to make writing fun and made some discoveries along the way.Continue reading "9 Ways to Make Writing Fun for Kids"

What I learned while working in a temporary restaurant

When I first learned that my husband and I were going to work on a food truck for a week, I was excited. I had visions of my husband and I working in a cute, little food truck, deep frying foods and handing out overpriced fountain drinks in large cups. Boy, was I wrong. FirstContinue reading "What I learned while working in a temporary restaurant"

Why Your Picture Book Needs An Antagonist

Most people think of picture books as cute and cuddly with elements of teach-ability. But every good picture book has a villain. I can tell you don't believe me... Let's talk it out. The types of villains in picture books are often not your standard looking villain. Why? Because we are telling a story toContinue reading "Why Your Picture Book Needs An Antagonist"