An author friend recently asked me how much I worry about promoting my already published books. He asked me this because he admitted that he was stressed out about the fact that he wasn’t promoting enough. And then he was equally stressed because he felt like he wasn’t doing enough writing. I know what that […]
How I (Sometimes) Balance Motherhood and Writing
I’m not always an acrobat. But it’s something I’m always working on–balancing motherhood and parenting. Recently, I was blown off course. I was so busy that I found myself not having time to read to my first grader at night. Not good! I have been re-correcting over the past couple of weeks. Here are six […]
Is Your WIP Developmentally Appropriate?
Recently, I’ve been reading some manuscripts and have written out this advice–“Make sure that themes and storyline are developmentally appropriate and that you’ve chosen the best form to express your story.” Most of us know what this means. Please don’t try to create a picture book about a 12 year-old girl preparing for her bat […]
Getting it Right in the Beginning vs. Writing through to the End
Hi Everyone, I love finding out what books you’re reading and what you currently recommend. I was influenced by reading Laini Taylor’s recent blog post about not writing through the end and getting the first one third right, and in the comment section, I came across her book recommendation list. Her posting about the values […]
Should You Write Through to the End?
There is this collective wisdom among many novelists that one should write through to the end. In my mind this means–get to the finish line and then worry about figuring out what you have created. Only after typing the last sentence should you angst about discovering your theme, and maybe what your true beginning should […]
I Needed Some Accountability as an Author and Here’s Why
Are you accountable for your time? I wasn’t. I have never been a great judge of time, and my entire life I’m inclined to run ten minutes late, or even worse when I’m overwhelmed. I have a tendency to take onto too much and then be the eternal optimist that I can get it all […]