I think Mondays are a good day for a quick writing lesson, don’t you? At the beginning of the work week I’m (usually) in a productive mindset. So going forward, on Mondays I’m going to be sharing some little tips that can improve your writing in a big way. First up: On how (and why) […]
For my first novel, the only people I had reading and critiquing it were friends and family. Which was awesome for my ego–not so awesome for my work. For my second novel, I actually did what the internets have been advising me to do–I searched for critique partners. And I actually found two! More on […]
After an amazing wedding weekend (my boyfriend’s sister’s) it was hard to return to real life this week.
I recently took one of those Buzzfeed quizzes–I think it was the one that tells you which Harry Potter book you are (I got Deathly Hallows, and I am fine with that). One of the questions asked what magical device you would want. I picked Time Turner, because I wish I could redo every day […]
So I wrote a book. (In a sun-drenched field, on a typewriter. Isn’t that how you write, too?) Then I rewrote it. Then I rewrote it again. And again. And again…
“It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn’t in the middle of the room. Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.” —Stephen King My humble writing spot. I’d love to see photos of yours!
It’s time to talk about Novel Interruptus. I found this ingenious term on another writing blog and now I can’t remember which one, so if you know, please tell me so I can give the author credit.
“Regardless of what the advertising campaigns may tell us, we can’t have it all. Sacrifice is not an option, or an anachronism; it’s a fact of life. We all cut off our own limbs to burn on some altar. The crucial thing is to choose an altar that’s worth it and a limb you can […]
As a writer, it’s a mantra you hear over and over: “Show, don’t tell.” There’s a reason it’s repeated endlessly: it’s one of the main things that separates good writing from bad writing.
I get a lot of questions when people find out I wrote a novel. One of the most popular is: how did you start? So if you’re thinking of writing a novel, I thought I’d share some advice on how to get started.