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
Tag: write
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
My Writing Life During Maternity Leave
I'm heading back to work this week. Between that and starting 2023, I've been reflecting a lot on how the last twelve weeks went since my daughter was born. It was tough. That's the easiest way to summarize all my emotions. Of course I knew going in that newborns require a lot of energy and… Continue reading My Writing Life During Maternity Leave
2022: My Complete Year
At the end of every year, I write a reflection post about where I’m at, not just in my writing life, but also in my personal life and how it all correlates. I’m calling 2022 My Complete Year because it coincides with how I called 2021 the Year of Unfinished Change. Last year, I got… Continue reading 2022: My Complete Year
Writing (and Working) While Pregnant: Third Trimester
I am 37 weeks pregnant, which means I am full-term, but have a few weeks to go and, honestly, I didn’t want to wait any longer to write this blog post. Why? Because I’m tired. If I wait any longer, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get the blog post out on time. (Not… Continue reading Writing (and Working) While Pregnant: Third Trimester
Should You Talk About Querying While Querying?
Only a few years ago, it was a huge no-no to talk openly about querying while querying. Sure, you could DM your closest writing friends, but tweeting about it openly? Hard nope. It was seen as unprofessional, a sign that the author wasn’t able to keep a level head when negotiations are taking place. You… Continue reading Should You Talk About Querying While Querying?
Why We Need More Books Like Jennette McCurdy’s I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED
Controversy erupted in publishing last week when child star Jennette McCurdy released her memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died. Ever since, I’ve seen various discussions being bounced around online. Some supportive; some not. I get it. I do. There’s lots of folks out there who cannot imagine disliking their mother so much that death feels… Continue reading Why We Need More Books Like Jennette McCurdy’s I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED