Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
In just a few days I’m going to start NaNoWriMo and it’s already making my body feel like I’m throwing myself off a cliff without a parachute. I know intellectually writing 50,000 words in a month is not a life-threatening endeavor. However, it still produces significant amounts of stress and adrenaline! Of course, I’m excited …
Continue reading “A Writer’s Ode to Her Inner Critic”
If we were having coffee I would offer you the best chair in my house. That’s the armchair facing the fireplace. Then I would bring out a large platter of thickly sliced homemade pumpkin bread with real butter. And pour you a jumbo sized steaming cup of something yummy. After you settled in, I would …
Continue reading “Weekend Coffee Share: Pre NaNoWriMo Edition”
I’ve just signed up for NaNoWriMo for the first time EVER. Here’s proof: As a hardcore plotter, I’ve never felt ready to participate. I can’t even fathom writing 50,000 words of prose without a solid outline. Plus, I’m not a fast writer. My inner editor and I are a team, not enemies, and I like …
Continue reading “A Slow Writer’s Scheme to Win #NaNoWriMo”
It’s Archive Revive Day! I’m swamped with gymnastics coach training this month, so this re-post is appropriate… Originally posted on Feb. 10, 2014. Updated Oct. 5, 2015 I had two childhood dreams – be a novelist and be a gymnast. I was a strange juxtaposition of sedentary nerd kid lying on the couch reading for …
Continue reading “What Gymnastics Taught Me About Writing”
This is Banned Books Week, a time we celebrate and remember all the wonderful books that have been challenged for their content. I think it’s clear we are making progress in some areas. However, there are still many grassroots movements looking to suppress and restrict public access to certain kinds of books. And I fear …
Continue reading “Banned Books Week & Diversity”
If we were having coffee, I might actually be drinking coffee instead of tea because I need the extra boost after a hectic week! You sip your hot beverage of choice and look at me quizzically. What happened? You thought I was pretty much done the video game script and I’d be focusing on my …
Continue reading “Weekend Coffee Share – The Month of New Beginnings”
Are you ready for disaster to hit your family? Most people aren’t. I live in California, a place blessed with world-class beaches and a climate that lets us enjoy them almost year-round. Plus we have rugged mountains and huge tracks of still wild landscape. It’s been the home state of renowned writers and the setting …
Continue reading “Bugout Tips for Authors”
September is always a time for self-reflection. In a way, the start of the school year makes it feel like the end of the year, though not quite. I find myself thinking of the goals and deadlines I set for 2015. Back in January I wrote a post called The 7 Deadly Do’s and Don’ts …
Continue reading “Deadlines: Helpful or Harmful?”
For some reason, the term beta reader confuses a lot of writers. They are not sure what they are, or why they need them. Even experienced writers often don’t know how to use these readers effectively to improve their work. For a well-constructed book, beta readers are the last stop before the proof editor. And …
Continue reading “Beta Readers: Who, What, Where, Why & How”
One of the benefits of being a freelance writer is making my own schedule, and having the flexibility to change that schedule if I want to. For instance, I am not a morning person, and in fact joked that I’m part vampire in this post here because I write best after sunset and terribly at sunrise. Luckily, …
Continue reading “5 Excuses to Protect Your Writing Time”