Writers Life: Onward

“There comes a time in your life when you have to choose to turn the page, write another book or simply close it.” – Shannon L. Alder I started a short story. It’s boring, and I haven’t really found the purpose yet. I didn’t want to start another story until I finished the novel, butContinue reading “Writers Life: Onward”

No Real Ending

“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” – Frank Herbert I don’t like this quote, but it’s because it’s so true. It’s frustrating for me. I mean, who doesn’t love a clear, sensible direction? Everyone must love it. Well, I do. lol But with writing, the rules onlyContinue reading “No Real Ending”

Write it for Children

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” — Madeleine L’Engle I love that I have my girls to read books with. I love a good children’s book. I like a good book, period. It doesn’tContinue reading “Write it for Children”

Writing Check In

The editing process is moving along. I found some work I need to focus on, but it will probably be fixed in one or two writing sessions. I’ve gone through about 35k words, give or take, which is the first two parts. The last part is the screenplay, which I’m not fully satisfied with yet.Continue reading “Writing Check In”

Just Finish

The most wise words you’ll hear as a writer are “Just finish.” Those two words pack a big punch for passionate creators with a million ideas. It’s hard to start. It’s hard to keep going with all the different ways people tell you to stop. And it’s hard to finish. It’s all hard. Writing isContinue reading “Just Finish”

Anything

“You can make anything by writing.” – C.S. Lewis I do believe this. Many life changing ideas come from reading a great book. Some works of fiction even give us a chance to let go and use our imaginations. We need the freedom that writing brings, so that we can envision new worlds. Was thereContinue reading “Anything”

You Must Be an Artist

“An artist is someone who can hold two opposing viewpoints and still remain fully functional.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald I don’t find artists to be more or less human than anyone else who answers the call, but I do appreciate this quote. As a writer, it’s required for me to shift to and fro fromContinue reading “You Must Be an Artist”

Now I’m Ready.

I did it. I wrote. I finished short stories. I wrote poetic prose. Some shitty stuff. Some stuff I’m proud of. I got paid for my writing. I finished a novel. I was included in an anthology. I sat in writers workshops with IV leaguers and successful authors. I took a dozen college courses. IContinue reading “Now I’m Ready.”

Character Development

Characters can make or break our novel. That’s why it’s important to find time to focus on your characters. An underdeveloped character can take away from a well-developed world and can lose your readers’ attention. It can be daunting to think about how much we have to do in our stories, but it doesn’t haveContinue reading “Character Development”