I mainly write science fiction and fantasy, and both of those genres tend to come with heavy world building. A few of you have asked me where I begin. How do I start? How do I know when to write? When does world building end? Well, if you read my editing tips series, then you… Continue reading World Building: Where to Start, What to Consider, & How to End
Editing the “Final” Draft
This month, I’m covering my editing process. If you haven’t read the first two steps—My Editing Process Starts in My Writing Process and Editing (Rewriting) the First Draft—then check those out now. Today is the last post about editing, but, as always, feel free to ask questions! We are discussing the “final” draft. The “Final”… Continue reading Editing the “Final” Draft
Editing (Rewriting) the First Draft
This month, I’m covering my editing process, so if you haven’t checked out the first part— My Editing Process Starts in My Writing Process—check it out. Today, I’m continuing the writing journey by explaining what happens after I finish writing a first draft. 1. Review Your Notes & Plans Hopefully, you took a break between… Continue reading Editing (Rewriting) the First Draft
My Editing Process Starts in My Writing Process
The other day I asked you all what topic you would most like me to cover, and editing rose to the top, so…I decided to post a month-long series on this topic—mainly because my editing process is as complicated as my writing process, and I want to get as in-depth as possible. So you can… Continue reading My Editing Process Starts in My Writing Process
The Ideal Writing Pace
Writing is a different experience for everyone. Just check out the #amwriting hashtag on Twitter and you will see authors hitting 50,000 words in two weeks…and in two years. So how long should it take to write your book? Stephen King claims to give up on a book if you can’t finish the first draft… Continue reading The Ideal Writing Pace
Challenge Your Writing
Challenging your writing is important, but what does that mean? It means trying something new—attempting a project outside your box of comfort—or switching everything up entirely. Challenging yourself can be a big or small adventure. You can try a new genre in a short story rather than a novel, for instance. But pushing yourself to… Continue reading Challenge Your Writing
First or Third Person? Present or Past Tense? How Do You Decide?
So you're writing a book...but your book requires some decisions. Your narrative needs structure. And there are a million options to choose from. So how do you decide a perspective and a tense? What is the best combination for your book? Let me start out by saying that making the choice to write in first/third… Continue reading First or Third Person? Present or Past Tense? How Do You Decide?
An Author with Poor Penmanship
Recently, I sent out letters and signed swag to some of my super fans who attended an online release day party for my books. And like so many times before that, I found myself dreading writing the letters. Why? It’s simple really. I am an author with poor penmanship. Now, please don’t tell me “I’m… Continue reading An Author with Poor Penmanship
I DNF a Book
I DNF a book. For those of you who don’t know what “DNF” means, it means I did not finish reading a novel. Not a big deal, right? Wrong. For me, I rarely put a book down after I pick it up. Why? Because I feel like if I decided to read it, I need… Continue reading I DNF a Book
The YA Protagonist’s Age: You’re 17? Me too!
The young adult genre is normally defined by coming-of-age stories, where the protagonists are often between the ages of 14 and 18. That being said, if you are publishing a YA story right now, chances are your protagonist is 17 years old. So why are most YA protagonists 17? Short Answer: The protagonist is old… Continue reading The YA Protagonist’s Age: You’re 17? Me too!
