Writing Advice From A YA Author Powered By Chocolate And Green Tea
They say if it's boring to write, it's boring to read. This little nugget of writing advice is one of the true ones. But when you're writing a scene that just isn't working and you need it to move the story along, that boring write is hard to turn into a non-boring read. Do you …
Continue reading 5 Writing Ideas To Transform A Boring Scene
Ah, deep POV. It's something I'd never heard of when I started writing and was something I wasn't even doing a year ago. Since learning this wonderful writing trick (which you can read about here), I've added a new depth to my writing and upgraded to being a serious writer. As with any new skill …
Continue reading How To Tell If Your Writing Has Slipped Out Of Deep POV
If you've been following my blog for the last few months, you'll know I've been spending this year working on rewrites. I'm currently rewriting the second book in my YA series, Blackbirch. I wrote the first draft of book two in 2003, the fifth draft in 2018, and that's the one I'm rewriting now in 2019. …
There are a few writer-world problems you can have. The muse taking an extended break. Losing a month's worth of progress to backup failure. Realizing the "unique" book idea you've been working on for five years was just published by someone else. Then there's writer-problems you can fix. Learning how to show and not tell, …
Before 2019, I hadn't attended any writing events. Then in May, I went to the KidLitVic writers conference where I spent a day listening to panels about publishing and agents (read about it here). It was both informative and addictive and I wanted to go to more! Luckily, I didn't have to wait long. The …
While June might remind us were already halfway through another year, it is also this blog's blogiversary month! I published my first post in June 2017. That kicked off the 117 posts I've published since. I launched my blog to extend my writer platform. I'd already begun querying agents and publishers and had been rejected, …
If you've been following my blog for the last few weeks, you'll know I attended the KidLitVic writers conference. There, I gleaned many a tip on the publishing industry, including the following about snagging an agent. Alex Adsett from Alex Adsett Publishing Services and Jacinta Di Mase from Jacinta Di Mase Management provided their expertize …
Continue reading Why You Should Have An Agent And How To Get One
If you're wondering what an action beat is, you're not alone. Not too long ago, I didn't know what it was either. I've since learned it's an action your character is doing while they're talking. Yeah, it's not exactly an earth-shattering revelation and is something you've probably been writing naturally anyway, it's just now you know …
When you’ve been writing long enough, you discover what you’re good at. It might be snapping out witty dialogue, awesome plot outlining, or creating characters so beloved even someone with a black soul would shed a tear at their demise. You also discover amongst these writing strengths, what your writing weaknesses are. For me, that nemesis …
Continue reading How To Spot And Eliminate Stage Directing In Your Writing
