How my writing life - and personal life - shaped 2024 into a year of revision.
Tag: writing advice
Exploring Hidden World Building in BAD BLOODS
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you already know my young adult series BAD BLOODS is a dark fantasy that hinges on the outcome of a polarizing and violent election–an election primarily focused on the rights of others. I actually err on the side of caution when promoting this series because so… Continue reading Exploring Hidden World Building in BAD BLOODS
How to Find Beta Readers and Critique Partners
I love my critique partners. I’ve been swapping pages with the same group since 2016 (and connected with additional critique partners along the way). Without their insights, I would’ve never grown the way I have over the years, which is why I’m always encouraging writers to connect with beta readers and critique partners, too. But… Continue reading How to Find Beta Readers and Critique Partners
How to Tackle an Edit Letter
Have you ever received an edit letter or notes from a beta reader, and you’re not sure where to begin? Everyone’s revising tactics will be different, but sometimes it helps to see how someone else digests information and figures out what to do. This is how I tackle an edit letter: I read it once,… Continue reading How to Tackle an Edit Letter
Trusting the Writing Process When You Must Kill Your Darlings
Right now, I am in the process of killing my darlings. A common phrase used in the writing world, and yet many writers have different definitions for it. Recently, it seems many writers take "kill your darlings" literally and they kill characters. While that technically counts, "kill your darlings" is a reference to eliminating any… Continue reading Trusting the Writing Process When You Must Kill Your Darlings
How to Organize Scrivener’s Binder for Novel Writing
Have your most important documents accessible while writing.
How to Fast Draft Chapters
Writing quickly and effectively is a skill. Here's some tips to get you started!
Is Your 18+ Protagonist Young Adult, New Adult, or Adult?
What makes a book young adult or new adult? What about adult?
5 Non-Writing Activities I Still Count As Writing
Writing is hard. So hard that writer's block often sneaks up on us. But did it really sneak up on us? I see lots of writers who get writer's block from one thing: Not feeling like they’re doing enough. Which is why I recommend being mindful about how non-writing activities count toward your writing journey. … Continue reading 5 Non-Writing Activities I Still Count As Writing
Why Similar Ideas Shouldn’t Deter Your Writing Journey
As aspiring writers, it's not uncommon to find ourselves overwhelmed by doubt and hesitation, especially when we stumble upon a book that seems eerily similar to our beloved WIP. In fact, this happened to me recently. I had 20,000 words of a story written and a full outline when I started reading a book that had… Continue reading Why Similar Ideas Shouldn’t Deter Your Writing Journey
