Aggghhh!!! Another rejection, personal too, so close yet so unbelievably out of reach. Have you felt this? Where did you go next? My current state of pregnancy makes a nice shot of tequila or deep glass of wine not an option. So what does a sober person do with rejection? Here are the stages I foundContinueContinue reading “A Writer’s Phases of Rejection- a Mini Memoir”
Tag Archives: writing
100 Posts and Counting: aka The Benefits of Blogging
While our combined Quest Type posts are topping over 250, this post will officially be my 100th. Part of me is so excited to still be doing this and another part of me thinks I maybe type too much. Regardless, I hope you are getting as much out of these posts as I am. ButContinueContinue reading “100 Posts and Counting: aka The Benefits of Blogging”
How Writing Groups Can Help You
Guest Post by Lori M. Myers “I just want to thank…” No, this isn’t an Oscar speech. It’s a shout out to my writing groups on my book’s dedication page. My success and persistence as a writer wouldn’t be possible without them. So let me ask you this: Are you shy about sharing your workContinueContinue reading “How Writing Groups Can Help You”
Lend Me Your Ear: Podcasts for Writers
Having a toddler I’ve found my time to actually read has dwindled to nothing and it’s so frustrating. What I have found time for however is audio, while writing, while cooking, and any other feasible time I can squeak in 30-ish minutes. Not only have I found podcasts that offer helpful advise but also toContinueContinue reading “Lend Me Your Ear: Podcasts for Writers”
Short Story Backtrack
I’m totally 100% dedicated to my new book. But then I found this anthology I want to submit to. So now what to do? Do I pause my new fantasy to go down a rabbit hole into speculative historical or do I continue on and ignore the muse in the corner yelling at me? That’sContinueContinue reading “Short Story Backtrack”
Twitter for Writers: Breaking In
If you’ve been on the fence about joining Twitter specifically for writing let me give you all the reason’s to do so. The Children’s Writers & Illustrator’s Market 2017 dedicates a full article to the topic quoting several top notch agents in the process here is an excerpt: Agent Thao Le of Sandra Dijkstra LieraryContinueContinue reading “Twitter for Writers: Breaking In”
7 Ways to Find Inspiration
A Guest Post by Theresa Braun I started wondering where it was that I get my inspiration when I write. Here, I’ve come up with a list of things that have triggered my creativity. My hope is that you might find some additional ways to spark your own. Travel: Going to new places in oneContinueContinue reading “7 Ways to Find Inspiration”
Setting Up Setting
This is how the conversation in my head went as I sat reading Setting by Bickham over my holiday break: Chapter 1- Story setting is important. Chapter 5- Super-duper important. End of Book- Crap, I’ve got to re-examine everything… Setting: the surroundings or environment of anything. For a book this can be anything from aContinueContinue reading “Setting Up Setting”
Book Looks: Why Character Looks Matter
I recently read a Twitter post stating they were changing there main character’s appearance to “average” to make her more “relatable” for female readers. This is the moment I wish for an unlike button. It’s not that book characters shouldn’t be average looking, by all means I’d appreciate it if more books were realistic. However,ContinueContinue reading “Book Looks: Why Character Looks Matter”
Starting Fresh- A new book journey
After getting my first fully edited book done and out there I’ve started working on something new. I will not be writing the same way this time. This time I will be intentional about all of it. This time I started with a question, something I needed to create an answer to in the formContinueContinue reading “Starting Fresh- A new book journey”
Competition versus Contest
Have you ever felt no matter how hard you work at it your writing it never seems to come out on top? Agents reject your prose, your Twitter pitches stagnate unheard, and editors point out a lack of sparkle. Take heart, writing is a contest not a competition. According to Dictionary.com here is the definitionContinueContinue reading “Competition versus Contest”
Group Blogging for Beginners
So you’re blogging or thinking about blogging and it’s so tough. Not only is hard to post regularly, it’s hard to think of topics. If you are blogging with others it’s all multiplied by a bazillion stress level. What if so-so doesn’t post on time? Or there post is written poorly? Or worse we looseContinueContinue reading “Group Blogging for Beginners”
Writing in the Cracks of Life
Lets be real. If you love something you find time for it. The less effort it takes the better. That’s why it’s easy to find ourselves parked in front of the tube binge watching (insert guilty pleasure here). We love to get lost in a different world other than our own. Creative passions can beContinueContinue reading “Writing in the Cracks of Life”
Seriously Funny Writing
If I’m being totally honest I’ve never been a funny person. I’ve dreamed of being the one telling an epic story of embarrassment and having the whole room erupt in laughter. Never happened, not once. So I gave up on trying to be funny. Sure it happens on occasion, I get lucky and make someoneContinueContinue reading “Seriously Funny Writing”
Kill Your Darlings: Revising for Exclusion
Okay so I didn’t actually kill off any of my characters, not yet at least. But they do get hurt. What we really need to focus on is not letting your personal goals, agenda, or outline mess up what your characters are really like or would really do. Just because you have a favorite partContinueContinue reading “Kill Your Darlings: Revising for Exclusion”
Cats, Frames, and Copyediting- A Dilemma in Destruction
I’ve framed old things before (like this sheet music) but never have I hurt a book, ever. Until today. I’ve got all my books unboxed and either up on my shelf or loving stowed away awaiting more bookshelves to be built (I need more walls). As I categorized and organized these old tomes I realizedContinueContinue reading “Cats, Frames, and Copyediting- A Dilemma in Destruction”
Bookshelf Transformation
Too many books are squirreled away in the crevasses of my home. It’s high time they had a place of there own. Not just a shelf- a space- a bookspace (it should be a word!). I’ve picked my biggest living room wall (nearly 20 feet) and a contractor. I saved up my dimes after gettingContinueContinue reading “Bookshelf Transformation”
PokémonGo and Writing: An Encouraging Comparison
To those of you who think PokémonGo is a joke. You are entitled to your opinion but for many it brings joy and fun to a bleak world right now. It’s a rally against the things tearing us apart by bringing people together at parks, churches, and street sides. So to my special group ofContinueContinue reading “PokémonGo and Writing: An Encouraging Comparison”
Plotting with Cell Phones: A Writer’s Guide
I’m sure you’ve heard it a fair number of times, “I write this genre/time because there are no smart phones to deal with.” It’s a tough fact, smart phones can kill your plot with a phone call or quick Google search. Here are a few examples. What’s a writer to do? You either fall into oneContinueContinue reading “Plotting with Cell Phones: A Writer’s Guide”
Example of Editor Awsomeness
If you haven’t taken advantage of a professional editor, it’s amazing what you can learn especially if you are trying to break in. I’d like to share an excerpt from my first chapter and I will cringe every time this post gets a view, so embarrassing. Here is my pre-edit from page one and I feltContinueContinue reading “Example of Editor Awsomeness”
Holy Homesteading 