Hello friends! I’ve been busy with a million things that aren’t writing, including installing shoe molding, sewing (hot glueing?) DIY mosquito curtains for our patio, and trying to survive the hectic last month of school for my kids. I also gave my PitchWars book the brutal revision it probably needed months ago, chopping roughly 6000…
Media Kit
Edit Letters
We’re talking feedback today. Those daunting, extensive edit letters that usually start with praise, then dive into everything that isn’t working in your story. In the past I’ve said good feeback usually stings– the knee-jerk pain is your brain fighting the realization that the criticism is valid (ouch.) And for me, it generally comes with…
Author Mentor Match, Round 4
I couldn’t be happier to share that I’ve been chosen as a Round 4 Mentee for the wonderful Author Mentor Match program! My mentor’s name is Jamie Krakover and she’s a real live rocket scientist! Jamie is represented by the lovely Kira Watson at the Emma Sweeney agency and you can check out Jamie’s website…
#AMMConnect
Hi, I’m Emily, and I’m a glutton for writing mentorship programs. I can’t help it. I love writing, I love talking about writing, I love brainstorming with other people, I love developing my craft, I love writing friends and I looooooove revising. MY WIP Working Title: PARCHED Genre: YA Science Fiction Length: 75k (ish. I…
Stage 2
Sorry I’ve been MIA, friends. I’m determined to have a completed first draft of my newest book by the end of the month, and I just decided to switch from one main character to two, so now I not only have to finish writing the plot, but I have to go back to revise the…
Motivation
Okay, let’s talk about staying motivated while working on creative endeavors. It’s…. a challenge, isn’t it? As a psychology student and then a teacher, I learned a lot about motivation. The types of motivation, how to motivate students, what decreases motivation, etc. I’m also a mom, and I spend way too many hours a day…
Act 2
Most stories can be divided into Acts. Some swear by a 3-act structure, others by 4, but regardless of how you break down a movie or book, Act 1 is an introduction to the characters, the world, and the problem, and Act 2 is when the hero gets into the action. Act 2 is where…
The world is a dumpster fire-Don’t you want happy stories?
I keep hearing that consumers want “lighter fare” and escapism in their media. The world is a mess, people say, so people crave stories that take them to a happier place. And yet, dystopian and dark fantasy continue to do really well, and many of the top television shows, movies, and books right now take…
Welcome, Em Shotwell!
You’re in for a treat today, friends! A guest post by the lovely Em Shotwell, my friend and fellow PitchWars mentee. Read all about her new release, below! Welcome, Em! Down here, we have a saying: “Here in the south we don’t hide our crazy, we parade it around on the front porch and give…
So Shiny!
Is there anything a writer loves more than a new, shiny story idea? Well, maybe a book deal. But, on the creative side, a new story idea, freshly imagined, is pretty high up there on the list of things that get us excited. Like all writers, I, too, love a shiny new idea, but as…