(A brief peek into this odd-ball brain of mine since the beginning of the current work in progress.) Me: Alright! It's an urban fantasy about a marital counselor to the supernatural. Werewolves, vampires, and all those magical creatures! It'll be great. Internal Editor: You can't be serious. Urban Fantasy is full of women in tight … Continue reading Arguments with my Internal Editor
She'd heard all these things before.She knew the chances of landing a traditional publishing deal were astronomical. All the statistics were the same. All the naysaying was the same. And that nagging voice telling her the minimum wage day job was all she would ever know?Yes, that too was the same.So why was this article … Continue reading The Article of Doom
I love high stakes stories. I love when the heroes have to battle against all odds and sacrifice all of themselves to reach the end goal. And I love when that end goal is "life as we know it" or Armageddon. And I love the hero who is plucky and normal but housing some extraordinary … Continue reading Abandoning or Embracing Cliché’s
Why yes, I did technically win Camp Nano this year. But the novel is not quite done. I do have a few scenes left to write, so the forward motion continues. However, the breakneck speed to reach 50k is going to taper off. There are obvious pros and cons to participating in NaNoWriMo, and as … Continue reading Wrapping up Camp Nano 2021
I shall open with a small confession. I have an amazing husband. He not only works full time, but he enjoys spoiling me with expenditures that I would normally not afford myself. For instance, a year's worth of Master Class where I can listen to Neil Gaiman chat about storytelling is not something I would … Continue reading Week 4 – Camp Nano 2021
The joy of Pinterest, and the pitfalls! Whenever I've gotten stuck in the past few days regarding the WIP, I have flown to my Pinterest page where I have selected certain faces to help "cast" or represent the characters in the novel. This has been great fun. So much fun. Probably too much fun. I … Continue reading Week 3 – Camp Nano 2021
Well, I did say I normally hit a slump right around week two and I wasn't wrong. However, my Pinterest/Reading/Netflix plan did work! I took several hours off yesterday doing other things and in the evening I was able to get words on the page. This isn't to say that this process will work for … Continue reading Week 2 – Camp Nano 2021
Entering the world of Bright, where supernatural creatures live amongst us and steam engines rule! I hit my daily word goal before lunchtime, so I am feeling great. Though I do admit that whenever I do a National Novel Writing Month, the first week or so is always awesome. Midway through the second week, my … Continue reading Camp Nano 2021
Looking back at the works I've written, I see stories that missed the mark because I did not have a handle on my craft. I see characters who were not fleshed out well enough, and scenes that never grounded the reader inside them, allowing them to experience it. I see fragments that make more sense … Continue reading Looking Back
I'm not certain who first coined the phrase that writers must "kill their darlings" but I find myself staring down the barrel of my proverbial gun today. With my shelter book finally completed - yes, that only took me all of COVID and then some to finish - I am on to the next project! … Continue reading Killing Darlings
