Do you ever just want to go home? Maybe you’ve had a long day at work or are stuck in traffic. Whatever happened or is bustling around you, you’re just ready to be home. You’re ready to be in your comfort zone with the people and pets you love the most. Do your characters wantContinueContinue reading “Where is home for your characters?”
Category Archives: Writing
A New Editing Resource
For those of us that write kid lit, especially at the chapter level and below, it’s essential to understand reading levels. Unfortunately, there are nearly a dozen different scales you can use to “grade” your story. Additionally, how do you know what makes a story a higher or lower level, are your edits even working?ContinueContinue reading “A New Editing Resource”
How quotation marks and other punctuation marks meet
Do you consider yourself American or British? This isn’t a trick question. I’m not trying to dig into your lineage. American English differs quite differently from British English in many ways. What’s the craic? AKA What’s up? Waffle AKA ramble Pissed AKA drunk It’s pissing down AKA It’s raining In addition to many fun wordsContinueContinue reading “How quotation marks and other punctuation marks meet”
Comparable Titles Are Like Buried Treasure
Finding a good comparable title is like following a map to buried treasure. Once you’ve got a good one you’re golden but the journey can be grueling. Let’s add some tools to your backpack on this excursion. Beware! None of these ideas will help you if you don’t fully understand your own story first. YouContinueContinue reading “Comparable Titles Are Like Buried Treasure”
11 Tips for Building a Writing Team
I talked last week about different types of critique. Check out that post HERE. This week I want to dig in about how to create and maintain a critique group. I saw an interview with a group of writers who’ve been critiquing for over 15 years and I took notes. These folks were making itContinueContinue reading “11 Tips for Building a Writing Team”
How to direct your workweek with emotions and 4 questions
Emotions get a bad rap. Emotional women are hysterical. Emotional men are weak. Characters that withhold emotion are seen and written as strong. Did anyone else cringe while reading that? But it’s true. That’s how our society writes and often thinks about emotions. The funny thing is, we talk about the positive side of emotionsContinueContinue reading “How to direct your workweek with emotions and 4 questions”
Different Types Of Critique
I’ve been taking a writing course for picture books and something has become abundantly clear, there are different types of critiques. Within a group of writers and authors I’m looking for specific feedback regarding plot, pacing, character, sentence structure etc. All the things that writers have learned to improve craft through the editing process. That’sContinueContinue reading “Different Types Of Critique”
Writing & Facebook: Caution is Key
I enjoy Facebook like most folks and use it regularly. However what I don’t put on Facebook is my writing that I’m seeking publication for. I’ve been told my stance is extreme at times and I’d like to dive into the why behind my stance. This is an excerpt from the Facebook Legal Agreement thatContinueContinue reading “Writing & Facebook: Caution is Key”
Writing & Parenting: A Juggling Act
I have two young kids, neither of them are in school yet, and let me say it’s hard to find time for creative endeavors. By the end of the day I’m too tired to think. In the morning even the littlest peep will wake them early. What’s a parent to do? All hail quiet time!ContinueContinue reading “Writing & Parenting: A Juggling Act”
How to Utilize Book Structure
When you hear the words picture book, what comes to mind? A book with pictures? Me too. But picture books are so much more than the words and pictures, there is also the book itself. When you go to revise your story think about these different elements and see if any of them are aContinueContinue reading “How to Utilize Book Structure”
Digital marketing 101: Tips for a modern age
I hate sales. I always have. I don’t like when people try to sell me things I don’t want or need. I find it absolutely infuriating. And I always thought marketing was about sales, so I thought I hated marketing. Then I started to do marketing. I wasn’t selling. I was writing copy, telling stories,ContinueContinue reading “Digital marketing 101: Tips for a modern age”
Finding the Next Step
“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.”― Confucius It was common for my business professors to quote Confucius and I always wondered what they meant by it. Were they jokingly saying they were sick of teaching? Were they challenging us, as students, to learn our way intoContinueContinue reading “Finding the Next Step”
Troubleshooting Stories
We’ve all heard about plotting vs pantsing but what gets overlooked is those of us who either start with a plot/world and those of us who start with character. Several of my writing friends always starts with character. I always start with a question that unravels into a plot and world. There are pros andContinueContinue reading “Troubleshooting Stories”
Being a Writer Curator
I’ve been doing some cleaning out of old files, papers, and documents. You know what I found? More boring than I care to admit. I’m not talking about old bills either. I found-gulp-boring stories. Stories that told everything from the day of my character from brushing teeth in the morning to turning off the lampContinueContinue reading “Being a Writer Curator”
Overcoming writer’s indecision
When I first started writing in school, I was crippled by indecision. I’ve always been pretty good at beginnings, but I never finished a story because I was afraid I’d write the wrong ending. What if I write something that the readers don’t want? What if it’s not what the character wants? What if it’sContinueContinue reading “Overcoming writer’s indecision”
5 Ways Kids Books Are Like Jelly
Have you ever made jelly or another type of preserve? It takes more than a recipe to get the results you want and kids books are very similar. Here’s how: Recipe like Voice- To make jelly you need a recipe and the first few times I’d recommend sticking to it. However, now that I’ve madeContinueContinue reading “5 Ways Kids Books Are Like Jelly”
Being thankful for the writing journey
As writers, it’s easy to fall into many traps. No, I don’t mean plot holes. I mean the human traps. Comparison. Fear of rejection. Worry. Unrealistic expectations. As we celebrate this season of thankfulness with food, shopping, and gift giving, let us also be thankful for this journey. Whether you’ve written three words this yearContinueContinue reading “Being thankful for the writing journey”
Emotional Plotting
It’s that time of year again! The time to dive deep, start drowning, and scramble back up to breath by December. It’s time for National Novel Writing Month! If you didn’t read Samantha’s post about generational plotting be sure to check it out because I’ll be building off of her thoughts here. Character is sovereignContinueContinue reading “Emotional Plotting”
How to catch up when you’re behind on your word count
Are you behind on your word count for NaNoWriMo? Me, too. Let’s catch up together. Here’s how.
How to create a generational timeline in 4 steps
Lately, I’ve been really interested in generational stories as well as stories told from multiple points of view. Naturally, I decided to create a generational story told from multiple points of view, which is what I’m working on for NaNoWriMo. I’ve never done this before, but I felt the story form inside of me and IContinueContinue reading “How to create a generational timeline in 4 steps”
Holy Homesteading 