V’s Snippet of the Week – #5: FLEX THOSE PUNS
Today’s snippet concerns planning your career as an author, from literary agent Rachelle Gardner: Here’s the LINK to the original post.
Category: The Writing Process
Thursday’s Children 7.25.13: Inspired by the Price of a Human Soul
I just bought a book from one of my favorite authors. I paid more than $5 for it, which is more than I can say for 9/10 of the books I’ve read in the past year. And yet, unlike the other 20+ eBooks that currently sit neglected on my eShelf (which is mostly due to […]
V’s Snippet of the Week – #4: REVISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Today’s snippet comes from the fabulous Brenda Drake, who talks about revisions after getting her first editorial letter. Here’s a link to the original article.
On Writing: From the Pitch
In baseball, everything begins with a pitch. Based on the outcome of that pitch, you can usually begin to see the direction the game will take. Will the batter score a home run? Will he strike out? Will the first baseman catch the ball on a pop fly? After the pitch, anything can happen. From what I’ve […]
V’s Snippet of the Week – #3: JUST BETA IT
Today’s snippet concerns beta readers. Specifically, how to / how not to offer feedback, from the glorious Dahlia Adler: And here’s the link to the original post.
Like a Virgin 2013: “Getting to Know You” Blog Hop #LV13
Is it just me, or does the ‘know’ in “Getting to Know You” seem to carry a slightly biblical connotation in this context? …It’s probably just me. Anyway *coughs awkwardly* WELCOME friends, to my version of the official LIKE A VIRGIN blog hop! Hopefully, it will only be the first of many more to come, […]
V’s Snippet of the Week – #2: LOOKIT THAT FANCY WRITIN’
Today’s snippet partially explains why J.K. Rowling is richer than F. Scott Fitzgerald. “I don’t care how pretty the car looks. If the engine doesn’t work — or is completely missing – your readers aren’t going for a ride. At all.” – Courtesy of Guy Bergstrom of The Red Pen of Doom, “The Secret Truth […]
Thursday’s Children 7.4.13: Inspired by Spam
Today’s TC post is written in the cherished style of “rant,” and inspired by the obnoxious–and yes, occasionally hilarious–spam I find in my comments inbox. (By the way, thank you, Askimet, for keeping these off my homepage. I really don’t say that enough.) Here are a few of my favorites: (along with my response) “Some viewers […]
(Super Belated) Thursday’s Children 6.27: Inspired by the Duck
We’ve all heard the saying, right? If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck… It’s a DUCK. Or, how about this one: The way you do ANYTHING is the way you do EVERYTHING. I was thinking of this saying the other day, for various reasons, and I realized that I haven’t always […]
On Starvation and Struggles: the Life of an Aspiring “Artist”
Note: this entry was originally posted on 2/17/2010. I’ve resurrected it here for convenience and because it is hella pertinent to my current situation. And probably, several of yours. Like every unpublished young writer, I yearn for the day when my name is not familiar to a mere handful of people, but uttered with reverence […]
Thursday’s Children 6/20/13: Inspired by the Abandoned
You know how I’m always blogging about the perilous allure of original ideas? Those little bastard darlings that seem so promising…so perfect at first glance, but which inevitably end up stalling and dying in mid-thought at some point down the road? We abandon them not because we want to, but because, for whatever reason–at that […]
Thursday’s Children 6.13.13: Inspired by Procrastination…and Maddeningly Endless Treats
Today, I have just one piece of writing advice: If you ever want to finish another book, DO NOT download this game. That is all. (At least until I beat this damn level….) WordPress.com Powered by Linky Tools Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list… Blogger WordPress.com
BREAKING NEWS
Also, did I mention that I’m judging a pitch contest next month? Because I am. So. Excited! News HERE Contest website HERE Calling all pitch virgins!!! *Cracks Whip* PREPARE TO BE SCHOOLED.
WOW! I won! (Kind of…anyway, my mom says I’ll always be a winner to her, so….)
So I entered this short story contest a while back, which I promptly forgot about until a couple of weeks ago. But anyway, it turns out I made the top 10! Booyah! Here was my entry: You, I Could’ve Loved By Veronica Park It’s incredible how much perspective a person can gain with time. The […]
Thursday’s Children 5/16: That’s What She Said. (Or, “I’m too sexy for this post.”)
I was going to write a post about SEX. But then something came up. (No punnuendo intended.) And the something that came up so perfectly grasped the point of this post, (Definite punnuendo here) That I decided to combine the two. In the form of slam poetry. So. Here we go. *** Inspiration. Oh sexy, […]
Friday’s Children: Inspired by Regret
Yesterday, I missed my first Thursday’s Children blog hop in like…eight weeks. I deeply regret this. However, it does illustrate a very important truth: Sometimes, you have to give up writing, in order to write. I’ll leave you to decide what this very enigmatic statement means to you. Until next week…here’s a comic: (Cyanide and […]
“Story Issues” Part 2: Story Structure
So your story has ISSUES. That’s why you’re revising it, right? Here’s some expert advice on how to fix those issues of yours. Issue #2: STORY STRUCTURE What is it? In its most basic form, story structure has been described by many as “the bones” of your story. The skeleton, or the scaffolding, if you […]
“Story Issues” Part 1: Pacing
So your story has issues. That’s why you’re revising it, right? Here’s some advice from the experts on HOW you can fix those issues. Issue #1: PACING What is it? Speed. Momentum. Getalong. The pace by which your story goes forward. What’s wrong with it? “A key ingredient of proper pacing is balance,” author MaryAnn […]
Seven Questions with Maryann Kempher
Welcome to my new(est) blog series, SEVEN QUESTIONS with SUPER INTERESTING PEOPLE! Today’s 7Q features debut autor Maryann Kempher V: Tell me about yourself. MK: My family moved to Reno NV, where Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder is set when I was 15. I currently live in Florida with my husband and two children, two dogs and one cat. […]
On Literary Sluttiness (aka Too Many WIPs at Once)
Sometimes, being a writer can feel like being a kid in a candy store. Especially when you’re embarking on a new WIP. There are so many ideas out there, just waiting to be plucked from the ether and made into incredible stories. Although it seems more popular to complain about a lack of inspiration, or […]
Thursday’s Children 4/11: Inspired by Moving On
Disclaimer: It’s ridiculous how often I find myself equating writing with dating. But just when I think I’ve exhausted every clichéd romantic analogy, another one rolls up in an Oldsmobile Cutlass and camps outside my window, hoisting a boom box. (Sigh…) It’s futile, you guys. Writing and romance are inextricably linked. We’re just gonna have to GET […]
Thursday’s Children 4.4.13: Inspired by Music [VIDEO]
We’ve already talked about how music can inspire us to write better, longer, more vividly…how it can help silence the myriad voices of self-doubt in our heads long enough to allow pure, unadulterated genius to flow forth. That said, I’m not one of those people who can listen to music while I’m writing. So instead, […]
A Taste of HEY BIG SPENDER
Remember when I said I’d never written a romance before? Well, I just recently realized (as in, earlier today) that I’m STILL not writing a romance. I’m writing a cationary tale. Here’s a little excerpt: Oliver kissed Dahlia with everything he had. Maybe because he was getting used to her pulling away, and he wanted […]
Someday Will Never Come Soon Enough
I was inspired to write this by a comment on the last post, wherein Jaye Robin Brown mentioned “second half of life intentions.” I’d been meaning to blog about this for a while, but well…in an ironic twist of irony, I kept putting it off. (Author’s note: sometimes when blogging, I am intentionally redundant. Just go with […]
What is Love? (Baby, Don’t Hurt Me.)
I’ve never tried to write a romance before. In fact, I used to promise–quite vehemently–that I could never take myself seriously as a romance writer. Not because I don’t have a TON of respect for other writers in this genre, but because, well… I’m the kind of girl who’s never been able to watch a love scene […]
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