Maybe it’s not the end of an era, but Owen is retiring from blogging. He has a lot more fun on Facebook where he has twice as many fans and people can post any time they want. He wants to thank everyone for following along as he’s adapted from Mexico to Michigan, and hopes that …
Melanie Hooyenga
A Dramatic Finish
Saturday morning I rolled out of bed, fired up the laptop, and edited the last 27 pages of my manuscript. My friends on Facebook congratulated me, I danced a little jig, then I went through the document to check that my chapter numbers were in order. And that, apparently, was the straw that broke the …
Fact Checkers
A string of recent political snafus have got me thinking: who’s responsible for checking facts? As writers, it’s considered part of our job to do research. Sure, we’re allowed to stretch the truth or bend things to fit our stories, but basic things need to be true. (I’m excusing fantasy & sci-fi from this.) As …
Getting My Hopes Up
If I learned anything during my three years in Mexico, it’s not to get my hopes up. When I set out in my over-loaded Honda for a four-day trip across two countries, I figured I’d be back–with my husband–in eighteen months. Maybe a year. That didn’t happen. There were too many disappointments over those three …
It’s Been Eleven Months and I’m Already Thinking About Month Twelve
I have several things I’d like to talk about, so today’s post will be a hodge-podge of things. First, I’m glad Friday’s post resounded with so many of you. I kind of figured it would, but what I didn’t expect was the people I consider friends worrying that they’ve somehow offended me. I’m by no …
A Little Respect, Please
Or at the very least, a little courtesy. I’ve gone back and forth about whether or not to write this post because it’s a bit of a rant. My frustration lies in the way I see people treating each other online. I’ll use myself as an example, but I’ve witnessed this behavior on blogs, on …
Warning: Sparkles are Bad for Electronics
A few days ago I fired up the old Mac and popped in a movie, ready to knock a few things off my to-do list. As my mind wrapped around beziér curves, I kept one ear trained to the drama onscreen. Just when the handsome werewolf appeared, posturing shirtless in all his muscled glory, a …
If I Build It, It Will Come
As you know, I’m living in my parents’ basement, and as you can probably imagine, I’m anxious to get out on my own again. My parents have been wonderful and I’m beyond lucky that they’ve let me live here for the past (egads!) eleven months. That said, I’m getting antsy to have my own place. …
The Book of Good
Last week I asked when is enough enough? Many of you gave thoughtful advice and shared your own stories, and your comments inspired an idea. It’s not grandiose or far-reaching; it’s merely a way for me to keep from getting bogged down in the negative. And it’s already having an effect. My solution? The Book …
Percolating
I’m being very good. I haven’t opened my wip yet. I really really want to, but I said I’d let it sit for two weeks and I’m determined to do that. In the meantime I’ve started brainstorming the plot for book two. My plan is to have synopses ready for books two and three when …