As both a teacher and a writer, I know very well that at some point into your editing you can get a little word blind. Even after two other people went over your manuscript, things can still be overlooked. Most writers I know get beta-readers to help them out with feedback. Whether that feedback is […]
When you first start looking for a literary agent, any one of them sounds exciting. And how could they not? They could potentially be the person who makes your dream come true, apart from yourself. You have options, though, so how do you know what to focus on when looking for an agent? Your Work […]
When starting a new novel there are different stages that a writer goes through before typing THE END. I’d like to refer to them as the various stages of delirium because that’s what it feels like to write a novel. But in a good way. This post may or may not include GIFs. (Hint: it […]
Okay, so you’ve finished a book. You’ve poured sweat, blood, and a lot of coffee into it and it’s now marginally presentable. Great. Don’t slip into a temporary coma just yet! CELEBRATE your hard work, the victory over writer’s block, the battle with the muse. It may not be clear what your option are, or […]
We all want to be productive when it comes to our writing. The sooner we get published, the better. But first we must have the stories and in order to have those, we must sit down and WRITE. My previous post was about the guilt of not writing and this post provides some quick and also […]
We’ve all been there, right? The days zoom by and before you know it, the only thing you’ve written in that time is a grocery list. And you didn’t even get to use metaphors, except for that one cheese. Inevitably, a sense of dread sets in. How could it not? We have goals and need […]
It’s November and that means different things to different people. For non-writers it means that it’s nearing Christmas. For writers it means mayhem, panic, dehydration, and the slow descent of madness. Many aspiring authors see this as the perfect opportunity to force a first draft from their bleeding fingers within one month. Every writer is […]
Many people dream of a life as a writer. Better yet, to make a living scribbling those words on paper and making pretend people come alive. There are many notions attached to this dream life. Since it’s a dream, they’re usually also far from the truth. Now, you may not think that every time a […]
Whether or not you’re a Plotterhead or a Wing-it Person, at one point, some form of plotting is handy. Especially, if like me, you write mysteries. Most of the time I still surprise myself, but before I start it’s handy to know in which direction I want to go. Much like a road trip where […]
Papercuts aren’t the writer’s only enemy. There are plenty of terrors that a writer has to face during the struggle to put pen to paper. As if writing itself isn’t challenging enough, we still do it. We persevere and survive our struggles with the characters, plot, and our pens that spill ink all over us. […]