“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: SCBWI
What It’s Like Going Unpublished for Five Years
My last published novel - Bad Bloods: July Lightning - released on July 24, 2017. Five years ago. That fact can feel pretty staggering some days. Obviously, more so when the anniversary comes up than other times of the year. But alas, here we are, standing at a time of reflection. Back in 2017, I… Continue reading What It’s Like Going Unpublished for Five Years
February Writing Journey Wrap-Up
Every month, I write a writing journey wrap-up post. It includes how many words I’ve written, what I’m working on, my wins, my losses, and other miscellaneous facts you may find interesting. First up this February, I wanted to congratulate our Pitch Wars 2020 mentee, Miranda Sun! She announced her six-figure, two-book deal with HarperCollins… Continue reading February Writing Journey Wrap-Up
January Writing Journey Wrap-Up
Every month I write about everything I did to chase my writing dream. These were my wins this past January.
2021: The Year of Dramatic, Unfinished Change
Every year, I take time to reflect on where I am, where I’ve been, and where I’m going. Last year was deemed The Strangest Writing Year (Hopefully?), and this year, I’ve decided to call it The Year of Dramatic, Unfinished Change. (Though, that may be too dramatic in itself.) Onto why that is (and also… Continue reading 2021: The Year of Dramatic, Unfinished Change
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!
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?)
One Writer’s Staycation & How You Can Recharge At Home
I recently took a week-long staycation, which consisted of me laying around my house doing absolutely nothing productive. I won’t lie, it was bliss. Usually, I like to talk about writing and publishing here on the blog, but I realized one vital truth while I was out: Breaks are a part of writing. If you don’t take breaks—if… Continue reading One Writer’s Staycation & How You Can Recharge At Home
2020 Author Goals
2019 is over, and honestly it feels like a blur. I know this post is going to seem like a hard brag. I promise that isn’t my intention. I accomplished a lot this year, but I can’t say that I allowed much happiness into my life, especially toward the end of 2019. The beginning felt… Continue reading 2020 Author Goals
2017 Favorite Writing Tools
Toward the end of every year, I like to talk about my favorite books, but I thought I’d share my favorite new writing experiences, too. This list is based on tools I tried in 2017, not necessarily tools that released in 2017, but I hope you find it helpful anyway. Website: MSWL For those of… Continue reading 2017 Favorite Writing Tools
Shannon A. Thompson 