Writing Tips

#WW Taking a Writing Break (And Why It’s Important)

I am taking a break from writing. (Why does that feel so dramatic to say? …Well, I don’t know. Maybe because writing is practically my life.) So what do I mean by taking a break? I mean just that. A break. A normal, little vacation for the writer’s mind. I’m not quitting. I’m not giving… Continue reading #WW Taking a Writing Break (And Why It’s Important)

Writing Tips

#MondayBlogs Writing Tips for Love Interests

Romance sells. This is a proven publishing fact. Though that doesn’t mean you should add romance to your novel just to add it, romance is quite popular in ANY genre, and let’s be real, love is everywhere. The chances of writing a book with no one (not even a side character) falling in love or… Continue reading #MondayBlogs Writing Tips for Love Interests

Writing Tips

#WW Writing Tips: Build Your Vocabulary

Vocabulary. It’s definitely a necessity for writing a book. A novel, after all, is written with words. It’s built on the structure, the sound, and the meaning behind every word you use, so naturally, building an extensive vocabulary is a vital aspect of every writer’s life. That being said, it’s not as easy as it… Continue reading #WW Writing Tips: Build Your Vocabulary

Writing Tips

#WW Website Wonders

Every month, I share all of the websites I come across that I find helpful, humorous, or just awesome. Below, you’ll find all of May’s Website Wonders categorized into Writing, Reading, and Exploring. If you enjoy these websites, be sure to follow me on Twitter because I share even more websites and photos like this there.… Continue reading #WW Website Wonders

Author Announcements · Writing Tips

#MondayBlogs Authors, Add Extras to Books

Writing a book is long process often filled with notes, maps, character charts, soundtracks, and Sticky Notes. If a novel is 350 pages long, there’s probably a stack of papers twice that high that led up to the publication of it. Whether it was an editorial letter or a rewrite or a list of background… Continue reading #MondayBlogs Authors, Add Extras to Books

Writing Tips

#WW The 90-10 Rule for Marketing and Writing, and How To Love It.

I recently attended the 101st Annual Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference, and a lot of aspiring authors asked about how much marketing they would be expected to do. One instance in particular seemed to shock many. Janell Walden Agyerman from Marie Brown Literary Agency stated most of her authors followed the 90-10 rule. What’s the 90-10… Continue reading #WW The 90-10 Rule for Marketing and Writing, and How To Love It.

Writing Tips

#MondayBlogs What Changes From First Draft to Publication?

What changes from first draft to publication? So much. In fact, nearly everything. But if the answer was that simple, an entire article (or even whole books on the topic) wouldn’t be necessary, so there’s more to this answer than it seems. Despite that, I insist you take my article with a grain of salt.… Continue reading #MondayBlogs What Changes From First Draft to Publication?

Writing Tips

#MondayBlogs Confessions of a Slow Writer

I’m a slow writer. There. I said it. I’m a slow writer. (Just for extra measure.) You see, I used to think I was a fast writer. “I can write a manuscript in two months,” “I wrote that novella in a few days,” “That short story took me an hour.” Okay. So, I’ve never actually… Continue reading #MondayBlogs Confessions of a Slow Writer

Miscellaneous

#WW The Truth Behind An Author’s Instagram

I have a confession. As an #authorofinstagram, I post daily pictures of my writing life that are more or less fictional stories themselves. Sure, my cats are real and that coffee was definitely mine, but not all of my posts are live (although a fair portion of them are), and the mood I describe might… Continue reading #WW The Truth Behind An Author’s Instagram

Miscellaneous

#MondayBlogs The Worst Thing A Reader Ever Said To Me

I can admit the worst thing a reader ever wrote to me. It was 2007, I was 16, my publisher at the time had released my first novel, and Honesty Box was the hottest app on Facebook. My high school self was naïve enough to have one of these, and one day, I found myself staring… Continue reading #MondayBlogs The Worst Thing A Reader Ever Said To Me