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
Tag: young adult
My Favorite Books of 2021
Every year I blog about my favorite reads, though I admit that this year was hard! I went really out of my comfort zone and read a lot of age categories and genres, but particularly adult romance, including the famous Ice Planet Barbarians series. This was also just a busy year in general for me.… Continue reading My Favorite Books of 2021
An Ode to My Laptop
My trusted laptop since 2014 died the other week. I know that may not sound like a big deal, but for me, it was like letting go of an old friend. You see, writers spend an extraordinary amount of time on their computers. There are very few days in the year that I don’t use… Continue reading An Ode to My Laptop
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
Writing About Grief
As someone who usually writes science fiction and fantasy, I decided to take a sharp turn during these last few months of 2021 to write my first contemporary. It’s a verse novel, centered on the loss of my mother when I was 11. (For those of you who are new to my blog, she died… Continue reading Writing About Grief
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
Inundated with Writing Advice
There comes a point in every writer’s career that they seek out feedback and advice from others. Whether that be critique partners, beta readers, or studying craft books, writers are often doing their best to continuously hone their skills. And while that is commendable, there comes a point where a writer can feel overwhelmed by the… Continue reading Inundated with Writing Advice
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?)
