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
Tag: publishing
Writing the Cliffhanger
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
When to Begin & End Chapters
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
SCBWI KS/MO Middle of the Map Conference Announcement!
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!
What Writers Can Learn from Reading Their OLD Work
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
How to Plot a Series and Make Every Book Stand Out
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
Want an Accountability Partner? Consider This First.
Maybe you’ve heard of accountability partners. Maybe you’ve considered getting one. But what is an accountability partner, really, and how do you get someone to help? For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, “accountability partner” is teaming up with someone who will keep you accountable for your writing progress. For example, your… Continue reading Want an Accountability Partner? Consider This First.
2020: The Strangest Writing Year (Hopefully?)
Every year I like to reflect and talk about expectations, goal-setting, writing life, changing trends, etc., and as strange as this past year has been, I still want to keep that tradition going. That said, looking back, January feels like it happened three years ago, not eleven months. In fact, right at the beginning of… Continue reading 2020: The Strangest Writing Year (Hopefully?)
Behind the Scenes of Pitch Wars with Team Snickersnee
Behind the Scenes at Pitch Wars with Team Snickersnee In case you missed it, Team Snickersnee announced our 2020 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 Snickersnee. We… Continue reading Behind the Scenes of Pitch Wars with Team Snickersnee
Shannon’s Top 5 Scrivener Tips
It’s no secret that I love Scrivener and have since I first bought it back in 2016. In fact, here’s my first ever post about it: Writers, Should You Get Scrivener? Granted, I’ve learned a lot about Scrivener since 2016, and the software has upgraded, which is why I thought an updated post talking about… Continue reading Shannon’s Top 5 Scrivener Tips
