“How do you revise?” is a question I’m often asked when talking about novel writing, especially if I’m giving a speech to a group of writers who are approaching the end of their first draft. Writing a first draft is hard enough. But perfecting it? Well, that can feel so daunting that many writers freeze.… Continue reading How Three Different Rounds of Critique Partners & Beta Readers Help Me Revise
Tag: editing
What Happened When I Opened an Old Manuscript that I Hadn’t Read in Three Years
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
Looking Back on my Pantser Novel
“Are you a pantser or a plotter?” is a common question writers hear. Why? There’s something inherently interesting about how someone turns a blank page into a 350-page novel. Sure, it's easy to say that one word after another leads to a sentence, which eventually becomes a chapter, before those chapters build a book. But there’s so… Continue reading Looking Back on my Pantser Novel
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
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
Is it Possible to Read Too Much as a Writer?
Last year, I read 167 books according to Goodreads. Granted, this is a mixture of everything under the publishing sun: adult fiction, YA, MG, graphic novels, and, yes, even picture books. My job at the library has definitely broadened my reading sphere, for which I’m super grateful. (I never knew picture books could be so… Continue reading Is it Possible to Read Too Much as a Writer?
Did I Fail At Blogging? At Writing?
Last month, I received my WordPress award for six years of blogging. And it felt like such a lie. Most of you know that I stopped blogging this year. It started in April, a little over six months ago, and it is by far the biggest step back from blogging I’ve ever taken. I tried… Continue reading Did I Fail At Blogging? At Writing?
CTP Free Book Weekend!
Hey, guys! I know it’s been a while. I miss blogging so much, not going to lie, but it’s still super hard to fit it into my schedule. Hopefully, one day. But today is a super fun day because my publisher Clean Teen Publishing is hosting a free book weekend! Below you can browse all… Continue reading CTP Free Book Weekend!
Why You Should Make Time To Write While Editing/Revising
I’m not going to lie. I’m basically writing this article because I failed at this, miserably, and I want to prevent others from making the same mistake. Once upon a time, I wrote a book. The moment I was inspired to write it, I knew it was more special than my other books. Not that… Continue reading Why You Should Make Time To Write While Editing/Revising
Shannon A. Thompson 