Ignore your inner nagging thoughts. They are seldom accurate perceptions of what you are actually achieving. It is deeply unfair to criticize your navigation skills when taking a journey into unknown territory. Try not to demoralize yourself. I call my first draft “the Lewis and Clark.” Any freaking way to [...]
Hi!
You may have noticed that I’ve been missing in action for a few weeks – but with good reason. I have been working almost daily on polishing my novel. I have even found some readers to provide editing and feedback before I start sending out my manuscript to publishers (with fingers crossed and a [...]
The following is an essay that Sarah Pekkanen, author of Skipping a Beat and These Girls, wrote for Writer Unboxed, a writing website that I will be adding to my personal resources as I finalize my own novel. I thought her writing tips were very useful – particularly with regard to making sure [...]
I thought this cartoon pretty much sums up my life right now. I am on maternity leave with my first baby, and spending time on my reading and writing. I’ve entered some writing contests through the CBC (haven’t won any yet), read some new books (some are 5 pages or less – see [...]
As part of my research for my novel, I’ve been doing some reading into a bit of a dark and somewhat misunderstood area – mental illness and young people. I’ve come across troubling material and also stories that are hopeful. All in all, I hope it will give me a more informed and balanced perspective [...]
Today as I was riding the bus to work, I had a breakthrough as to where I would go with the second half of the novel.
If I wasn’t pregnant, I’d be having a few celebratory drinks right now
One of these would do the trick!
[...]
…At the novel.
At the end of April, I had completed half the story. However, I got to a point where I realized it would be prudent to do more research on the main topic I am writing about in order to ensure accuracy in the details of the story.
I also got a surprise [...]
“The key to success is coming up with a good strong “what if”. I learned three years ago from my editor and my agent that if a book can’t be reduced to a single “what if” sentence it is probably not worth wasting your time on. If the idea takes three [...]
I’m stretched out in a hammock on a tropical beach!
Not quite. But I have still planned a great and relaxing vacation for myself. I’ve booked two weeks off from work and I am going – NOWHERE. That doesn’t sound [...]
For those that took a look at my Writer’s Wall there are some big picture elements that make up this novel-designing Wall (see below). Once you have physically built your Wall, you will want to return to these elements and brainstorm about them (like the lady above ) further in order [...]
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