I’m a serial committer. Like Einstein, but without the astounding genius. What the heck is that, you ask? A serial committer is someone who gives themselves completely to what they’re working on…until they move on to something else. Basically, it means I function best in a project-oriented environment. I realized this about myself fairly early
By nature, I’m stuck in a chair all day in front of the computer, or brainstorming on paper, but the irony is that some of my best ideas come while I’m in motion. If I’m stuck on a scene, or struggling for new ideas, I’ve found the best way to open my brain is to
My CP is constantly harping and nagging…ahem, I mean gently reminding me about the need to infuse my writing with more emotion. And, she’s right. In my head, the characters are going through such turmoil and angst, but I often forget to pour that emotion onto the page for the reader to see. Some of
Today I got my first agent request for a partial (first 3 chapters & synopsis). Insert “woo hoo” and a happy dance here. Very exciting! The timing seems serendipitous since I recently blogged about revising the manuscript for just such an event. I didn’t expect to have to jump into it today, but I was
Most non-writers believe that once you type “The End”, you’re done. Hah! Far from it. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve revised Counting on You (a.k.a. COY) since I “finished” it. The first couple of revisions were based on things I’d learned (through workshops, books on writing, and experience) since starting
You’re probably intimately familiar with some sort of word processing software, especially if you’re a writer. But, while Microsoft Word and similar programs are great for formatting a finished manuscript, business letters, and other documents, they may not be the best software for writing a story. There are several programs out there for writers, and there’s
My ideas usually come not at my desk writing, but in the midst of living. ~Anais Nin People often ask writers where their ideas come from. I even find myself wondering the same thing after I read a great book. The answers? Everywhere, nowhere, hard work. We get them from things we see in our