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Yes.  You read that correctly.  After much nail-biting and teeth-gnashing online, I wrote a synopsis.  I’m tempted to use lame web animated fireworks.  That’s how proud/excited I am. Want to know how I did it?  Fine.  I’ll tell you.  But, I suspect, it’s one of those things that you can read a dozen articles about, but eventually you just have to hunker down and write the damn thing.  Much like writing a book. I went through my book and summarized the turning points and points  of conflict.  This was 12 pages long.  A crazy length for a synopsis.  Some editors or agents will take ten. Read More →

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It amazes me how supportive nanoers are to one another.  When I tried this a few years ago, I felt so alone and couldn’t see my way through it.  But interacting on twitter, though it can be distracting, has shown me how supportive other writers and NaNo participants are.  I’ve received more than one reply to my tweets of frustration or success.  If you’re NaNoing, definitely follow the #nanowrimo hash tag there.Read More →

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Turns out, this whole “just write” strategy is actually very difficult for me.  I can’t seem to stop looking up the page and thinking, “Dude, this is crap,” which I always do and sometimes it’s not. But, for me, that’s the whole point.  To learn to let go and let what I know, both learned and intuitively, about craft and my muse do what they do. So, yesterday–a slow start.  Today?  It’s anybody’s ballgame, baby. Also: Very awesome article about the costs of rewriting those sentences.Read More →

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WordPress doesn’t like my “live” badge, so I’ll stick this one in here.  Yeah, I’m going for it.  My goal: 2k words daily.  I’ve never written a word without planning the hell out of it, so I’m kind of excited to try this.  Check the twitter updates on the left to see how I’m doing.Read More →

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Look. I’ve had a difficult year. I’m not whining, honestly. I won’t even go into detail, because I’m private that way and that wouldsort of be like whining. You’re welcome.  But, whatever.  I’ve been a bad writer. I put off doing my synopsis/query for On A Bet.  I didn’t know how to do one, or who to send it to, plus it’s scary.  I stopped writing Skye’s Falling because I joined a crit group and I got overwhelmed, feeling like I *had* to make all the changes, which is just a bad idea (for me) when it’s just a first draft.  It’s not supposed toRead More →

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As I spent seven hours a few days ago, reading weird websites and finding ways to waste my time, I realized that I was avoiding writing out of fear.  Fear of what?  That I’m just not good enough.  I’m not good enough to pull it off, my writing isn’t good enough to be published, I’ll ruin this awesome story just begging to get out.  I actually had to walk away from a WIP I had 1/4 of finished because I psyched myself out that bad.  I’ll go back to it later, but for now, we–the manuscript and I–need some distance. But, I’m not the onlyRead More →

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I really don’t know if I can or not. The jury is out, but sources say they are leaning toward can’t, at least today. But the title of this blog should read, “You’re a big whiny wussy.” Or so my husband told me. That’s why I love him. Sometimes, you need a kick in the pants, whether you want one or not. I read once, on a forum, and I can’t find it, I’d pay money if I could find it… this person posted a quote from a fellow writer friend. And I may be getting this wrong, but this is how (I believe) itRead More →

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I am here to talk about fear, my friends. I always wanted to be a writer. Mostly I flirted with the idea, considering a degree in journalism or writing a scene here or there. And then, I realized I was being a chicken about the one thing I’d like to do most in my life, the one thing that would provide me with, at least, satisfaction of a life fulfilled. I told myself I didn’t have to be a wonderful writer. No one’s a wonderful writer, at first. And that was freeing, for me. Suddenly, I could write. And if I felt it weren’t great,Read More →

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I’m editing. I have (once again) hit writer’s block and decided this would be the perfect time to edit… or totally rip apart… my first novel. Except, of course, I still don’t feel like writing. So I’m pushing my way through. And feeling like a petulant two-year-old: “But it’s hard!” It’s so scary, looking at something like this again, something I spent years working on, something I was never really sure I would finish. And, it’s finished. Except it needs a lot of work. I’ve learned so much, and I guess that’s good, but it makes it so much easier to see what I didRead More →