I hope everyone’s had a great week! I wanted to let you know about some exciting posts I have planned for next week’s blog: Beginning Monday, July 23rd, is Blitz Keli Gwyn week! (And I have some super fun giveaways planned on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of next week so you’ll want to be sure and stop by to be entered.) …
Facades are so exhausting. Wouldn’t you agree? Trying to be someone/something we’re not ranks right up there with getting a root canal. It’s time-consuming, costly, and often, rather uncomfortable. Why, then, do we do it? Are we afraid that if people see the “real us” they’ll not like what they see? Are we afraid of being perceived as ignorant? Are we afraid? …
When we’re children, I don’t know that we can fully appreciate our roots. In fact, I’m sure we can’t. Things like culture, heritage, family history, and geographic locale aren’t on our “life in the moment” radar. Children live in the now. A child’s world is immediacy. It’s Mama’s smile at breakfast; Daddy’s hug as he leaves for work. It’s macaroni …
For a writer, there’s nothing more exhilarating than the telling of the story. Beautiful, well-crafted prose is a by-product of that process, but that’s a skill that’s acquired over time. We master our craft while attending The School of Hard Knocks. There are no shortcuts, no easier route, and no fake-outs. When we hear of those authors who are “overnight successes,” that’s …
I’m taking the day off from blogging today so I can devote time to my WIP, but I did want to remind you of a few things: * Last Friday I was the guest blogger at Writer…Interrupted. I spoke about the writing craft and shared some thoughts on things that writers don’t often talk about. I hope you’ll pop over and …
I knew a girl in college who had a flair for the dramatic. She had long, flowing tresses and dark, expressive eyes. She often wore flowery peasant blouses teamed with ruffled skirts, multiple gold bangles, and twin hoops in each ear. She also ate a lot of garlic (touting its myriad health benefits), and she was an accomplished artist. Rarely, was …
In Monday’s post Are Critique Partners Necessary? I explored why our readers, mentors, and fellow writers (aka “crit partners”) are so valuable. Today, I’d like to talk about the various strengths and “gifts” each of our critique partners brings to the table. Years ago when I began writing, the only person I had critiquing my work was my high school journalism teacher …
Today, I was set to do a follow-up post to Monday’s Are Critique Partners Necessary? With it being a holiday, however, I’ve decided to take today off and save Part Two until Friday. I’d like to mention just a few quick things: *Tonya Ashley, you’re my June blog giveaway winner. Congratulations! Please contact me soon with your mailing info so I can …
Many years ago, I was a member of a fledgling writer’s group. In this group were writers of various ages and professional backgrounds. Some were stay-at-home moms. Others were teachers, nurses, social workers, and office managers. We also had a company president or two and a smattering of business owners. Some were published authors. While we were all at different stages in …
I love art. I appreciate the creative process and the end result. For me, it’s the in-between period that becomes rather labor intensive. I think most writers would tell you there’s an initial high that comes when we’re creating a new story with fresh characters. We love to plot and pour it out on paper. Sometimes we can’t type fast enough. …
