“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
I see tweets all the time about writing goals. Goals are good. Goals help motivate. But I've never been good at them. Deadlines help but I still struggle to meet them. A friend of mine gave me a deadline for two weeks and I think I emailed her the finished project about a month later. Word… Continue reading Word Count Goals
Growing up, it was difficult to find people who loved to read as much as I did. Or people who read at all, really. I've always baffled by people who claim reading is boring, and yet spend hours and hours in front of the TV watching reality television. "How can you read so much?" they… Continue reading Being a Reader in an Unliterary World
I am happy there is someone who is willing to give me their honest opinion of my work. It can be difficult to a) find someone who is willing to read anything, let alone something I wrote and b) find someone who will not pull punches when it comes to problems with plot, story, characters,… Continue reading Letting My Friend Break My Kneecaps, or Getting Constructive Criticism
I love historical fiction. Especially novels that take place around the Victorian or Regency era. I realize I'm romanticizing a period of inequality, poor hygiene, and convoluted social rules, but dammit if they didn't look good in those waistcoats. What I don't love (well, besides everything I listed above) is all of the research that… Continue reading Research, Write, Repeat: Historical Fiction
It's not perfect, but it's done. After several long weeks, I finally finished that pesky third draft that has been plaguing my every thought. Remember how a few posts ago I wrote about how a second draft was like a forest fire? Well, this draft was like trying to put the forest back together after… Continue reading The Third Draft of Redemption
Writers are told more and more these days that they should have a strong presence online. They should branch out through any means possible; stamp their name on as many social media websites as they can. However, I have been very remiss in this department. Disgracefully so, I would say. I love writing for my… Continue reading I Can’t Social Media: A Writer’s Quandary
Out of curiosity, how many of you guys write from home? Because I can't. I've tried but, for whatever reason, being at home just feeds my addiction to the internet. I boot up my laptop, game face on and notes in my hand, only for my Facebook page to pop up on the screen like-… Continue reading I Can’t Write At Home. The Internet Wants My Soul
I will be the first to say I am not always the most productive human being. At least when it comes to writing. This, however, is not entirely due to my proclivity to procrastinate. I just happen to write very, very, very, very slow. My typing isn't the issue. I can actually key words relatively… Continue reading I Write Slowly
So...I'm supposed to be working on the third draft of a short story, but here I am. I thought about writing all day at work today, mentally mapping out scenes and constructing dialogue. Then, when I actually got home, all I wanted to do was, well, anything else. My story and I have been acting… Continue reading Late Night Writing
Is anyone else getting tired of one-word book titles? They've exploded in popularity in recent years and seem especially prevalent in YA lit. Particularly with covers that feature attractive female teens wearing extravagant ballgowns and holding their hair up promiscuously. I realize there are many good book titles with a single word or name, but… Continue reading Enough With The One-Word Book Titles!
The Crooked Pen 