Two Kids Down, Three to Go
Over Thanksgiving, we went to my husband’s aunt and uncle’s house for the big feast. We go every year, and even though the aunt and my mother-in-law are the only two children from their family, their posterity really is quite vast. This year there were 55 there, and two of the larger families were missing. […]
Raptures over My Current Read
Oh, rapture! I am so in love with the book I’m currently reading! I think one of the best things in the world is to find a book I love so much I can’t wait to get back to it. The language, the characters, the growth that comes to them one by one as they […]
November should be “Missing Writers Month”
November. Where are all your writer friends? They’ve all suddenly gone stealth, AWOL, quiet. Why? Answer: http://nanowrimo.org/ My word count, as of November 20th: 30,210. Or so. No time to blog. No time to clean my house. No time to make any more excuses. I’d better get back to that WIP. (When a NaNo comes along, you must […]
Ever Wanted to Co-Author a Story with Your Child? Tips on How!
As a mom of creative kids, I have often wanted to co-write stories with my kids. It’s fun, but sometimes the process can break down. Good news! My friend Amie Borst just released her debut novel, CINDERSKELLA, which she co-authored with her daughter Bethanie. Together they developed this fun, spooky plot, and the end result […]
The Worldwide Storytelling Contest, Part 1
This is part one of a two-part post about storytelling. Last month I had a really great opportunity to attend the Screenwriters World Conference West in L.A. in Century City. I cajoled my sister-in-law Julie into going with me at the last minute, and we polished our story pitches during the 9 hour drive through […]
Cutting A Scene. It’s Like Surgery. And Gardening.
So, I am working on a rewrite of my latest novel. I’m really excited about the concept, and I have a lot of fun scenes that I’ve already written and am trying to cobble together into a coherent tapestry of story. It’s going to be so fun! But in the meantime, I’m really struggling at […]
Organic vs. Organized
At the Screenwriters World Conference this past weekend I attended a class by the amazing Corey Mandell on the art of crafting a good script. He talked mostly about the importance of “integrated writing,” which is his way of saying (in novelists’ lingo) that it’s better to be a combo of a “pantser” and a […]
Lucky You Live Hawaii
Hi, Folks! Ready for a fun guest post by my good friend and fellow author Lehua Parker? Well, she’s got a new book out, ONE SHARK, NO SWIM. It’s a sequel to her completely fun ONE BOY, NO WATER, which I reviewed here when it came out last year. She’s on a roll. And lucky […]
Ta Da! Cover Reveal and Contest for Exciting New Clean Romance Series
Oh, my heck! This thing came up so fast! I had no clue how fast a group of six writing women could work up a whole concept, weave it together, and put it into motion. But voila! I’m really excited to be part of something this amazing and fun. Six novellas, all clean, all by […]
The 5 Edits Every Novel Needs
I’m reading a novel for a friend. I’m just at the beginning of it right now, but I can tell the main character is going to be compelling. I’m only on page nine, and already I feel the girl’s aching and am anxious for her success and her opportunity to overcome adversity and find happiness. That’s a successful beginning. […]
