Tomorrow I will have the honor of meeting S.G. Browne, author of the upcoming Fated, “a dark, irreverent comedy about fate, destiny, and the consequences of getting involved with humans.” Kirkus Reviews calls Browne “one of America’s best satiric novelists.” I’ve only known him for a couple weeks, but from what I’ve seen, I’d have to …
writing / editing
Ahh, Plotting
One of the rules of NaNo is you cannot start writing the actual story until November 1st. I wrote eight or so pages last spring, and while I plan to use them, I’m no longer going to start the story in the same place so it’ll just be filler. I figure I’m going to need …
Stop! NaNo Time*
It’s that time of year! NaNoWriMo — National Novel Writing Month for those of you not in the know — starts November 1st and I’ve already signed up. NaNo challenges writers to write a novel in a month. Simple, right? Yeah, yeah. Stop laughing. It’s been done before. Even by me. After the Fall, which …
Shiny New Notebook
Last week my coworkers and I went to a paper show in Grand Rapids. I have received TONS of HILARIOUS comments about how exciting a paper show sounds, but trust me, it’s exciting. Yes, the theme is paper, but it’s how the paper is presented that draws the crowd. Each company tries to outdo the …
#amquerying
I just thought I should get that out there. I don’t plan to give updates here unless it’s something fabulous, but after all the build-up over the past few months I felt like I should let you know I’ve released my baby to the wild!
Ineffective Motivation
I’m not sure when I started doing this, but for the past year or so I’ve treated reading books as a reward. If I have a project hanging over my head that I really need to finish I won’t allow myself to start a new book until I’ve finished it. I love reading so in …
Yet Another Sign That I Truly Am a Writer
I suck. My book sucks. Why would anyone want to read this? I don’t even want to read this. Why did I ever think this was a good idea? I may as well quit now and save agents the hassle of ignoring my query. Ever had these thoughts? That’s been the constant monologue running through …
Stories are Everywhere
As I left the plane behind me last night, I paused near the waiting area as an anxious family rushed forward. A caucasian couple a few years older than me, trailed by two teenagers and two little girls around six or seven years old, moved as one unit, then stopped a few feet away. What …
The Celebration Was Short-Lived
*checks calendar* It’s August 30th. Still one day left in the month and… I finished my third draft over the weekend! *dances about* I finished going through the hard copy Saturday, then plugged in all those notes on Sunday and ferried it through the intertubes to my friend and trusty beta reader. *waves* (Yes, I’m …
That’s a Lot of Paper!
Look! I finished my edits and printed out After the Fall in its entirety! Yes, there are TWO red pens waiting for me. Because I’m ahead of schedule I have a whopping NINE days to proof the hard copy and still meet my goal of finishing by September 1st.