While writers handing their manuscripts to beta readers are looking for honest notes and help on their work-in-progress, sometimes that feedback is much harsher than they were prepared for. Maybe the beta reader is a tough critic or that (shock horror) the MS isn’t at the level you thought it was. This revelation can sting, …
I recently received a notification from WordPress congratulating me on the anniversary of my blog. As of June, it’s been around for 5 years! That might be a long time to some, or a short time depending on how you measure things, but in either case, it’s enough to learn a lesson or two, so …
Welcome to the June 2022 roundup! This month, I took some time off from writing. One reason was that my mum came to visit from Sydney for an extended weekend. The other was because I was in a bit of a funk. After coming off a real writer's high of finally finishing my Blackbirch 3 …
When you start out in the writing community, you’re learning, and part of that process is seeing those before you rise. Just as you’re entering the query trenches, there are others being lifted out of them with agent representation and publishing deals, and you wait patiently for the day that person will be you. Before …
If you’ve been reading my blog posts since last year, you’ll know I spent most of it rewriting my work in progress. Helpful advice from beta readers pointed out that I hadn’t gotten it completely right and that I needed to make major changes to get everything to work. This took me six months, and …
Welcome to the May 2022 roundup! Finally, a monthly update where I can say I finished my edits of Blackbirch 3, draft 10! The MS I'd been working on for 6 months is in the hands of new beta readers and getting closer to the end of the editing process so it can move to …
While there are just as many writing tricks as there are ways to tell a story, there are some specific ones that can help make your book something special, and one of those is internal thoughts. If you’ve never heard of the concept, it’s where you let the reader inside a character’s head by writing …
Continue reading 4 Reasons To Use Internal Thoughts In Your Writing
You may know it when you start, it might pop up when outlining, or you could have no clue until you’re writing the last chapter, but every book needs an ending, and every writer needs to work out the best kind to use. Luckily for us, there are plenty of options to choose from, such …
Welcome to the April 2022 roundup! Well, I started this month on track to finish draft 10 of Blackbirch 3. The plan was to have it out to betas by Easter so I could leave for a break knowing it was in their hands, ready to be read. Instead, my household of four was hit …
K.M. Allan 