NaNoWriMo and Me

As November draws to a close, so does the quest to win NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Congrats to all who participate.

7th Grade Revolution: The Tunnel

When starting off on the journey of 7th Grade Revolution I didn’t have a lot of information beyond the portion based on the real life classroom experience. I had spent time getting to know my characters, but beyond knowing there was a conflict with an outside agency. Normally, before I start writing, I do work on some sort of outline. … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: When the Story Gives Back

As a writer, honoring the story and getting it down and into the hands of readers is my job. It’s a solitary endeavor that takes a host of people to bring to fruition. We are never in it alone. And for each person who helps me along the way, I am grateful for the help I have received. In the … Read More

YWS: Saving Ideas

“Ideas can come from anywhere and at any time. The problem with making mental notes is that the ink fades very rapidly.” – Rolf Smith The bane of the writer’s existence is the idea that arrives at an inconvenient time. I don’t think I’ve ever had a story show up while I’m sitting in front of my keyboard, hands poised … Read More

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

On this day of giving thanks, I thought I’d share a few of the things I am thankful for. I have been incredibly blessed and I like to remind myself of these things when times get a little rough — as they do for us all from time to time. (The list is in no particular order) Things I am … Read More

YWS: How Writers Write – Take 2

Previously, I spoke about being a plotter or a pantster and how I fall in the middle of the spectrum. I’d like to add that for me, every book is different. Some require much more detailed planning in advance of starting, others simply have to be written and forget the outline you dashed down because we’re going on Mr. Toad’s … Read More

YWS: How Writers Write – Take 1

I’d like to share with you a little about the writing process. Of course, I can’t tell you how all authors write, but I can share my process as well as those of some authors I know. There is a popular theory that if you had a room of monkeys typing on a keyboard and infinite amount of time, they … Read More

My Current Fight Song

Music has always been an incredible influence in my life for as long as I can remember. It has the power to calm my soul, express joy, release the river of sorrow, vent anger, share love, and more. For every emotion I’ve felt in my life, there is a song to express it. Sometimes no words are necessary … the … Read More

Do You Believe?

A couple nights ago, I took a rare moment and watched a movie. Not something I have an opportunity to do very often because I’m juggling so many different things, but it had been a rough week and I needed to decompress a bit. I chose Little Boy, which is set in World War II times, and is primarily about … Read More

Omniscient Point of View

Last week I talked about head hopping and why we shouldn’t and I mentioned the omniscient POV (Point of View) as not being a part of the discussion. Head hopping means jumping from character to character and changing viewpoint. Omniscient is an unseen/unknown narrator who knows what everyone is thinking or feeling. I had the following question asked of me, … Read More

Make the Future and What IF?

Writers tend to deal in the realm of “what if” … What if a baby wizard was orphaned and survived being killed by the darkest wizard of them all? What if that baby had to grow up and ultimately kill the dark wizard in order to save the wizarding world from destruction? A couple what ifs like that and an … Read More

YWS: Writing as a Life Skill

Writing is a life skill; something we all need to get through life. The better your writing skills are, the better able you are to improve your standarad of life. Writing is not something you learn for school assignments and never use again once you graduate — it is something you will use for the rest of your life. I’m … Read More