Three years ago, I shelved a manuscript that I loved dearly but had to set aside in order to work on another project gaining interest in the market. It wasn’t a hard decision. At the time, I had just finished its third rewrite and, though it had recently won a writing contest, my other piece… Continue reading What Happened When I Opened an Old Manuscript that I Hadn’t Read in Three Years
Tag: Authors
Tips for Writing Spooky
Happy Halloween! I don’t know about you, but Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. In fact, one time my father snuck into my car while I was at school and filled it with Halloween balloons, chocolates, and a pumpkin-shaped candle burner. (I know. He’s the greatest. Though I admit, I didn’t know… Continue reading Tips for Writing Spooky
FINAL YASH Fall 2020
Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt! Hello! I’m Shannon A. Thompson—YA SFF author, librarian, and neighborhood cat lady. I can't believe this is the FINAL YASH. ::insert tears:: But I've had so much fun participating over the years, and I hope you have a blast this time, too. About Me! During the day, I am… Continue reading FINAL YASH Fall 2020
YASH Spring 2020
Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt! Hello! I’m Shannon A. Thompson—YA SFF author, librarian, and neighborhood cat lady. About Me! During the day, I am the Program Manager of The Story Center for the Mid-Continent Public Library, the largest library system in Kansas City, but at night, I write stories about monsters and mayhem. I’m… Continue reading YASH Spring 2020
YASH Fall 2019
Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt! Hello! I’m Shannon A. Thompson—YA SFF author, librarian, and neighborhood cat lady. About Me! During the day, I am the Program Manager of The Story Center for the Mid-Continent Public Library, the largest library system in Kansas City, but at night, I write stories about monsters and mayhem. I’m… Continue reading YASH Fall 2019
Finishing My First Pantser Novel
I finished my first panster novel. For those of you who don’t know what a panster is in publishing, it basically means you write with no plan, no outline, nothing. You write by the seat of your pants. Hence, panster. Typically, I’m an outliner. A pretty detailed one, I might add. There’s something comforting about knowing my… Continue reading Finishing My First Pantser Novel
How I Revise My Novels
I talk a lot about writing, creating, marketing, editing, etc. But I haven’t specifically discussed the revision process. But isn’t revising and editing the same thing, you ask. No, not really. Though the lines can definitely blur, revising is a stage that comes before editing. Revising is knowing what to keep in your work, what… Continue reading How I Revise My Novels
How I Outline (And Write) My Novels
Foreword: This week has been crazy. Between attending the LitUp Festival today, trying to coordinate the cover for TOOK ME YESTERDAY (the sequel of TAKE ME TOMORROW) on Wattpad, and some other crazy exciting news, I almost (ALMOST) let this blog post get away from me. (Thank the writing gods for iCalendar reminders.) That being… Continue reading How I Outline (And Write) My Novels
Writing with a Motivational Calendar
My life has changed quite a bit over the past year. Between moving and starting (two) new jobs, I’ve had to adjust my writing life and the way I think about my writing life. As many of you know, I currently work full time at the library and then work part time as a freelance… Continue reading Writing with a Motivational Calendar
My Average Day as an Author
Despite tons of movies and books revolving around authors and publishers, the life of the average author is still pretty mysterious to most. Why? Hollywood never gets publishing right. Ever. This is the one fact agents, editors, publicists, and authors agree with. An author’s journey to publication is unique, VERY unique, and authors’ lives reflect… Continue reading My Average Day as an Author
