Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
If we were having coffee, I would brew enough caffeine to keep me alert for a week. The truth is, it’s been pretty crazy at my house lately. We’re in the final countdown to the end of the school year and the kids are like sharks smelling blood in the water. They know summer freedom …
Continue reading “Weekend Coffee Share – Going Batty”
Every writer I know is already working harder than they ever thought possible. They sacrifice evenings and weekends with families to make their writing dreams come true. Since we can’t work faster, we need to work smarter. Try one of these writer hacks–or try them all. Either way, you will enjoy a boost to your …
Continue reading “5 Life Hacks For Writers”
Short Story Month continues. Are you excited yet? I hope so! Now that you know, thanks to Heather’s last post, if your story idea is more suited to a short story or a novel, we take this discussion into the grey area between the two by talking about serial fiction. Serials come in many forms, …
Continue reading “3 Advantages & Disadvantages of Writing a Serial”
May is short story month. In honor of the event, Heather and I have a few treats planned this month. Hopefully you are taking part in a contest, or perhaps just letting the event inspire you to dash off a short story (or two) for the writing practice. If so, here are my six favorite …
Continue reading “Six Don’t-Skip Short Story Tips”
Last month it occurred to me that a handful of basic opening scenarios crop up in a large number of stories. I’m not talking about those tropes we’ve all heard about (alarm clocks ringing, watching the sun rise, or waking up from a dream), but situations and specific types of events writers use to grab …
Continue reading “5 Common Story Openings Done Wrong”
Mission Code Name: 3, 2, 1… BLASTOFF to Stellar Writing Security Clearance: Unclassified Mission Objectives: To meet new life forms and engage in shared and mutually beneficial discourse on a range of topics. Mission Status: Success! Co-Commander Rivera’s reflections report: While it is never easy to commit a month to a venture of any kind, …
Continue reading “2015 Blogging From A to Z Mission Debriefing”
This is our last Blogging A from Z post. The mission was a success and soon the space capsule will splash down. Crowds will cheer and confetti will litter the web. But before we blow the bolts on the hatch door and get some much-needed rest, let’s take a moment to reflect on everything we …
Continue reading “Z is for Zymurgy”
Heather and I both read and write young adult fiction, so we have a solid understanding of this market and what makes it tick. In the last decade, the popularity of YA has hit the stratosphere. Author megastars rise up from nowhere almost overnight. Big movie franchises and huge book deals are becoming normal events. …
Continue reading “Y is for Young Adult Fiction”
For writers, words make the Earth spin round. We can battle extraterrestrial invaders or colonize a new galaxy all with the power of our language. We use words every day, and yet we still want to blast them with a death ray when they refuse to obey. Today it’s all about the words and the …
Continue reading “V is for Vocabulary”
Writing a book is not as labor intensive as, say, launching a space mission, but sometimes it feels like it is. I use Trello to keep my sanity in check. It helps me manage all my brainstorming, to do lists, blog posts, home repairs, work deadlines and even my kid’s schedules…all in one place. And …
Continue reading “T is for Trello”