The book is done. All the photograph permission forms have been signed, the copyediting changes made, the final page proofs approved. As we speak, the book is at the printer, making 1,200 neatly bound, neatly stacked copies of my little paperback. It’s done. This book, as you will see it, as I will hold it … Continue reading »
Filed under Writing …
Keeping a Writing Schedule
Over the summer I blogged about making a writing schedule and designed one in Excel that set aside 14 hours a week for writing. At the time, a lot of you wrote in the comments section that this was an impressive, amazing, unbelievable goal, but I didn’t heed your warnings. I kept looking at the … Continue reading »
Build Your Dream Home (in Your Novel)
While walking to my neighborhood gym in the dark the other night, I crossed a bridge over a tiny creek that cuts through my backyard in the winter, a rush of freezing water, and dries up to non-existence in the summer months. I couldn’t see it, but I could hear the gurgle and it had … Continue reading »
Outlining After the Fact, Remembering Where You’ve Been
In the popular terms of “pantser” and “plotter,” I’m not really sure what camp I fit in with yet. Besides the unique experience of NaNo, (which didn’t help me create anything of quality) I’ve never sat in front of a blank screen waiting for the characters to take action on their own accord, dumping whatever … Continue reading »
At the Starting Line: How Writing is Like Swimming
In high school, I was a swimmer on the varsity team. Not a very good swimmer. I wasn’t fast, I wasn’t a good sprinter, and I wasn’t even valuable to my team for long distance races. But I worked really hard to survive practice every day, sometimes twice a day on holidays, and I was … Continue reading »
Another “Best Of” List: Nailpolish Stories 2012
This is fun news! My short/flash story, “In My Back Pocket,” a 25-word story inspired by an unusual nail polish color name published back in April, was selected as one of the best of the year! Nailpolish Stories: A Tiny And Colorful Literary Journal chose one story from each monthly issue and published it in … Continue reading »
My 2013 Business Plan
I’ve decided to take Marissa Meyers advice and create a business plan for my writing. As she explains, “A business plan is like a roadmap that will give you an at-a-glance picture of your goals and priorities. It helps you focus and challenge yourself, and it will let you know when you’re falling behind.” Specifically, … Continue reading »
Dear 2012, You’re Not So Shabby: My Year in Review
As fun as it is to write these year in review posts, it’s even more fun to read the one from the year before. I can’t believe that it was only last year, in 2011, that I got my very first publishing credit (a short story in a local magazine)! Wow, did 2012 certainly bring … Continue reading »
Cover Reveal!
I’m still, technically, burrowing to finish up this book. But my editor sent me the cover last week and I just couldn’t resist sharing it. I was able to recommend which photograph would be used for the cover and as I was sifting through the hundreds of Byberry photographs I’ve collected, trying to decide, I … Continue reading »
Burrowing
When I write, I have to burrow. I burrow in my condo, at my desk, or in my room, or on my couch; usually, literally, burrowing under blankets. I can’t be distracted by TV noise or other people’s conversations or music (I seriously don’t understand how some people can have playlists for their books. I … Continue reading »
