Writing Advice From A YA Author Powered By Chocolate And Green Tea
Writing a book takes time. Even if you're a fast drafter and can put something together in a matter of weeks instead of months or years, working through the multiple drafts it takes to reach the final draft is still tough. You're so exhausted at the end, that the thought of starting again at a blank …
Writing is one of those activities where, no matter if you do it full time or crammed into lunch breaks, there's a never-ending to-do list attached. You've got to fill in plot holes, plan character arcs, script whole conversations, research how to poison people without drawing the attention of authorities, and then find the time …
Continue reading A Non-Overwhelming Writing Routine To Gain Control Of Your Endless To-Do List
As the year comes to a close and December flies by faster than Santa’s sleigh, most of us do one of two things; rush to cram in everything before taking a break, or, do nothing because it’s easier to relax into a candy cane coma than finish plotting chapter twelve. There’s nothing wrong with slowing …
Recently, I had four talented fellow writers beta read book one of my supernatural YA series. This was the book I spent a year shopping to agents, and waited over a year for a publisher response. There were issues with the manuscript. I knew it from the rejections. So I rewrote parts, bumped a minor …
Continue reading How To Sort Through Feedback Without Going Insane
If you’re a writer who is a planner, one of the first things you’ll do when starting a new project is to create an outline. If you’re a pantser, like me, you’ll shun outlining in favor of writing by the seat of your pants, or in other words, not knowing what you’re doing until you’ve …
For someone who is a writer, I've done very little of it lately. This is because I've been spending the last few months editing and proofreading the four books that make up my YA supernatural series. As a result, I've become pretty apt at revising drafts, or at least I've learned enough about proofreading to …
I prefer pantsing when writing, which is going with the flow and seeing where the story takes me. There’s little planning involved beyond a vague idea of plot and characters (if you’re lucky). It’s perfect for creating natural story arcs and organic surprises and twists, but when it comes to the little details, I’ve discovered …
Continue reading Why Didn’t I Plan!? The Regrets of a Pantser
After a year of getting nowhere with agents, and following the advice of the editor who assessed the manuscript I was sending out, I decided that I would give publishers a try. So far this year I have submitted to two publishers. The first sent an automatic reply to the submission saying that if I …
I don't plan when I write. At least not at length. I'm a pantser and proud of it. That leads to surprise when writing, and ideas that come over you in eureka-esq moments that remind you why you're spending your days chained to the keyboard. One downside to being a pantser, though, is that you …
