The querying process is one of the hardest steps for a writer to face — even more so than the daunting editing process. A finished manuscript, after all, is our baby, and it’s hard to kick your baby out into the cold cruel world. And trust me, it can be a cruel world. I’ve beenContinue reading “Staying Uplifted While Querying”
Category Archives: Personal
Finding the right beginning
Some beginnings come easy; others, well, they bite, claw, and resist like no tomorrow, leaving behind frazzled writers. Take for instance my novel Heritage Lost: It’s beginning stuck from the very beginning, back when I conceptualized the novel in college. It’s sequel, which I’m am beginning, is already on its fourth (I think) beginning. NoneContinue reading “Finding the right beginning”
So Begins The Jump
To borrow a phrase from Nick Fury (and countless other people over the years): This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve queried before, often to no luck. Rejection happens more often than not: The publishing industry is a hard nut to crack. You just have to dust yourself off, get back up, and continue to submit, potentially with a new project.
How does a person get their $*** together?
Utter failure. That is really the only way to describe this year’s NaNoWriMo attempt. Illness struck quickly, taking a week, and then apathy swooped in and killed any desire to continue the trek onward. Really, does the world need my books? Are they really worth anything (not necessarily talking monetary value here)? I’ve been reallyContinue reading “How does a person get their $*** together?”
It’s the final countdown — NaNoWriMo prep
In the background of my head, Europe’s famous riffs loudly declare “It’s the final countdown!” And my countdown is now practically three days — three days and the madness of National Novel Writing Month descends upon me. I’m not ready for this! Frantically, I look at my outline: It only stretches from Chapter One toContinue reading “It’s the final countdown — NaNoWriMo prep”
I’m not dead yet!
Whew! It’s been a long time since my last post–about three months, actually. But don’t fear, there’s still life in me; it’s just that summer is always hectic at my place of employment. Luckily, it is wrapping up, and we are now down to two special insert tabs, so there aren’t a lot ofContinue reading “I’m not dead yet!”
The mobile writer
I often find myself marveling at how wired in I am as a writer. There’s the various Google apps that connect me to my writing no matter where I’m at; Evernote allows access to my writing notes no matter what device I have; and, of course, I have my social media and email apps. AsContinue reading “The mobile writer”
A writer’s reflections . . .
I’ve buckled down the hatches and have really been polishing up my SciFi manuscript. My printout revisions are complete, my rewrite of chapter one is done, and now all that remains to be done is implementing the printout edits into the electronic master copy. At this rate, I’ll be on schedule to finish and submitContinue reading “A writer’s reflections . . .”
A reflection on character relationships
I believe writers have quirks that appear across the broad body of their works — little nuggets of ourselves that we can’t help but deposit. Whether it is reoccurring themes or just elements of our life experiences, they appear in the black and white of our prose. And as I continue editing my Scifi novel,Continue reading “A reflection on character relationships”
Beta reading continues
“Heritage Lost,” the working title of my SciFi novel, is currently out to three beta readers, and the response has been very favorable so far. It’s always good to hear comments like “This will be a quick sell” or “I found myself wishing these characters were real.” Not only that, but two are stating theyContinue reading “Beta reading continues”
Blood & Ink 