Miscellaneous

An Ode to My Laptop

Shannon A Thompson11 Comments

My trusted laptop since 2014 died the other week. I know that may not sound like a big deal, but for me, it was like letting go of an old friend. You see, writers spend an extraordinary amount of time on their computers. There are very few days in the year that I don’t use… Continue reading An Ode to My Laptop

Author Announcements · Publishing Advice · Writing Tips

Behind the Scenes of Pitch Wars with Team Stellify

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In case you missed it, Team Stellify announced our 2021 mentee for Pitch Wars! (But more on that below.) Since announcement day has come and gone, I thought it would be fun to give everyone a behind-the-scenes peek at what went down with Team Stellify. This year, Sandra Proudman and I decided to mentor a… Continue reading Behind the Scenes of Pitch Wars with Team Stellify

Writing Tips

Writing the Cliffhanger

Shannon A Thompson5 Comments

Love them or hate them, cliffhangers are popular and utilized in lots of books nowadays, even the ones that never get (or intend) a sequel to follow up the ending.  So what’s the difference between a cliffhanger that makes a reader pick up the next book and the one that makes the reader chuck the… Continue reading Writing the Cliffhanger

Writing Tips

When to Begin & End Chapters

Shannon A Thompson5 Comments

When writing a novel, writers must consider a lot of factors: characterization, pacing, plot, etc. Take a look around the internet and you’ll find tons of articles on how to begin a novel, outline a novel, flesh out a novel, and end a novel, but when it starts to get into the nitty gritty details,… Continue reading When to Begin & End Chapters

Writing Tips

Writing About Grief

Shannon A Thompson4 Comments

As someone who usually writes science fiction and fantasy, I decided to take a sharp turn during these last few months of 2021 to write my first contemporary. It’s a verse novel, centered on the loss of my mother when I was 11. (For those of you who are new to my blog, she died… Continue reading Writing About Grief

Author Announcements

SCBWI KS/MO Middle of the Map Conference Announcement!

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I have A LOT of wonderful events and opportunities coming up, so I wanted to keep today's post short, sweet, and informative. Mostly, I'll be teaching and critiquing at the SCBWI KS/MO Middle of the Map conference. I'll also be mentoring a YA writer throughout 2022, but applications open up on November 7! It's all… Continue reading SCBWI KS/MO Middle of the Map Conference Announcement!

Miscellaneous

Pitch Wars 2021 Wishlist!

Shannon A Thompson5 Comments

Hello, Pitch Wars hopefuls! For a downloadable, plain-text PDF version of this post, click here. This year I am partnering up with the fabulous Sandra Proudman to mentor a middle grade science fiction or fantasy writer for Pitch Wars. We are Team Stellify. Stellify means to change or be changed into a star. It’s associated with myths… Continue reading Pitch Wars 2021 Wishlist!

Author Announcements · Writing Tips

What Writers Can Learn from Reading Their OLD Work

Shannon A Thompson6 Comments

I’ve been writing stories ever since I learned how to write. I’m not kidding. My first pieces of work go back to when I was 4 years old. My first story was a 5-page rambling piece about my new husky throwing a party so that the two older dogs would attend and possibly befriend him.… Continue reading What Writers Can Learn from Reading Their OLD Work

Writing Tips

How to Plot a Series and Make Every Book Stand Out

Shannon A Thompson4 Comments

As an author with three series under my belt, I’m often asked how to plot a series, and I thought it was finally time to share a few tips.  First thing is first, anyone considering traditional publishing should make book one a standalone. Don’t get me wrong. It’s great to have the dream of writing a series,… Continue reading How to Plot a Series and Make Every Book Stand Out

Publishing Advice

How I Use Social Media as an Author

Shannon A Thompson4 Comments

Social media is generally seen as a must-have nowadays for creatives. Some writers love it. Others hate it. I find most fall somewhere in between. Which is why I wanted to talk about it.  Being online can certainly come with its pros and cons. I have days where I love the connections I make and the information… Continue reading How I Use Social Media as an Author