Is there anything as good as reading a story and coming across a plot twist so great it completely blows you away? When done right, a plot twist will turn a tale on its head, get readers turning pages, and talking about your work to anyone who'll listen. If that sounds like something you want in …
Happy New Year, everyone! It's time to get out of that magical land between Christmas and New Year when you're full of chocolate and cheese and don't know what day it is. 2020 brings the chance to start afresh, kick off some resolutions, and get back into the writing game. If, like me, you took …
Continue reading Getting Back On The Writing Track After The Holidays
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
