When I look back on my writing life as a teen, I think about the summer a lot. I loved nothing more than spending hot sunny days swimming, evenings working at the restaurant, and late late evenings writing in my books. (Seriously, how did I have so much energy?) That said, there are a few… Continue reading Summer Writing Tips for Teens
Tag: publishing
Happy Memorial Day! + Blogging News & Giveaways
Happy Memorial Day! I usually blog on the first and third Mondays of the month (and will include one if there’s a fifth), which is why I thought today might be a great time to update everyone. My blogging schedule is changing! Moving forward, I’ll be posting on the first and third Wednesday of the… Continue reading Happy Memorial Day! + Blogging News & Giveaways
Becoming a Mom Has Made Me A Better (And Worse) Writer
One day after my first Mother’s Day and my mind is reeling. I am so incredibly lucky to be a mom. I love Winnie bear. I love watching her grow and explore, and her giggles just wake up my life in a way that nothing else ever has. Kids are amazing. But they do change… Continue reading Becoming a Mom Has Made Me A Better (And Worse) Writer
What ChatGPT Taught Me About My Author Brand
On Twitter the other day, (as writers do), I came across a writer who had ChatGPT write ten tweets in her style, just to see what it thought of her voice. They were hilarious. Moments later, another writer I followed did the same thing. (Also hilarious.) I won’t lie, I have never used ChatGPT before,… Continue reading What ChatGPT Taught Me About My Author Brand
A Lesson in Backing Up Your Books
I recently hit THE END in my young adult contemporary, my first book since my baby was born. It was an exciting moment. I formatted it and sent it off to my betas, ready to sit back and work on a palette cleanser until I got their notes so I could start revising. What is… Continue reading A Lesson in Backing Up Your Books
I Write Because I Want My Mom’s Death to Mean Something
March 16 marked the twentieth anniversary of my mom’s death. It’s a strange fact to realize how much time has passed, how much my life changed, how much she is missing. I’ve spoken about her many times on my blog and across other social media channels, most recently in the context of writing a middle… Continue reading I Write Because I Want My Mom’s Death to Mean Something
Unpopular Opinion: Healthy Relationships Shouldn’t be Required in Fiction
I was recently on Twitter when someone asked for unpopular opinions, and one that's been grating on me came out in the form of this tweet: https://twitter.com/AuthorSAT/status/1628759550051471362 Full disclosure: I actually wrote a blog post about this that was supposed to go up earlier this year, but I chickened out. Why? Well, because I know… Continue reading Unpopular Opinion: Healthy Relationships Shouldn’t be Required in Fiction
My Average Day as an Author, Librarian, and Mom
After my last post - My Postpartum Writing Life: Working-Writing Mom with a 4-Month-Old - I received a few questions about where I fit my writing in, so I thought it was time for another "average day" post. I've actually written a handful of these over the years. The last time I wrote one was… Continue reading My Average Day as an Author, Librarian, and Mom
My Postpartum Writing Life: Working-Writing Mom with a 4-Month-Old
My baby turned four months old yesterday, which is both mind blowing and incredibly exciting. (It really does go by so fast.) Now that we’ve officially made it one month of her going to daycare while I work full-time (and write novels), I thought it was time for a writing life update. And honestly? This… Continue reading My Postpartum Writing Life: Working-Writing Mom with a 4-Month-Old
How Three Different Rounds of Critique Partners & Beta Readers Help Me Revise
“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
Shannon A. Thompson 