Tag Archives: Writing

Jun 2 2016

I Am A Bad Author. Bad. I Am Bad.

Stress

I have spent the last 30 days under major serious deadline pressure. And now….it just got worse. Some things have collided professionally, and I find myself without enough hours in a day (or cells in my brain) to get all the writing done that needs to be done. I spent almost all of Memorial Day weekend looking like that picture above.

Okay, that’s a lie. I looked more like this:

Furious woman

But I made headway, and that’s a start. The long and short of all this is….Earthsinger is going to have to get pushed back. I had hoped for a mid-June break on that book, but it’s now looking to be late July.

Readers, I apologize.

Continue reading →

May 23 2016

Great Writing Advice…On A Tee Shirt

badchoices

One of my friends sent me a new tee shirt and I love it!

And bonus: it got me through an ugly chunk of writer’s block. Hear me out.

I got stuck in a part of my story that just seemed…dull. Plodding. Predictable. This is supposed to be an epic story, for creep’s sake. Epically dull is not something people generally pay money for. Continue reading →

May 9 2016

Finishing Up Earthsinger, But A Pirate Keeps Taking Over My Brain…

pirateship

I’m working like mad to get a lid on Earthsinger, and I have had so much fun putting Manni and Matt on paper. You’ll also meet the long-awaited Firesinger, and learn the name of our elusive mystery girl.

And while all that’s being put to virtual paper, my mind is bubbling and churning with something I put off for far too long – the sequel to Eight Nights At Sea. Continue reading →

Apr 25 2016

First World Writer Problems

Hill Street Studios/Blend Images

I had to do two things this weekend: Yard work and writing.

The first got done, which is no easy feat. I have an enormous yard on a slope and my riding mower crapped out on me so I was using a push mower – and not one of those nice self-propelled jobs, either. This was a few hours of solid cardio with extended arm workout.

And when it was all done and I took a nice, cool shower, poured myself some iced tea and fired up the laptop, I discovered that my arms felt like spaghetti and my hands were so cramped it was like trying to type with eagle talons. Continue reading →

Apr 18 2016

I Am Finishing This FanFic Today. Dammit.

Writer's frustration

Guys, I have to level with you. I know you know I’ve got a lot on my plate but you just cannot imagine how behind I am. It’s to the point of nearly terrifying now, so I have to get on top of some things.

In order to do that, I’m going to cut back on my blogs. Right now, I’m blogging 5 days a week on three platforms and at least one day a week on two others. It’s too much to sustain right now – not if I need to get two novels written in the near future. Continue reading →

Apr 4 2016

Writing The Perfect Kiss

Fashion gloss red heart lips makeup

I was working on the latest installment of The Elemental Destinies this weekend and oh, am I having fun with this one!

Earthsinger is, of course, Manni’s story (for those of you who’ve read books one and two) and as the book begins, she’s stuck on a long road trip with Matt, who turns out to have just as much spunky attitude as she does.  Continue reading →

Mar 25 2016

Resource Thursday: Creating And Writing Believable Conflict

Chess board with figures

You’ve got to have conflict in your story. The protagonist has to have something – or someone – s/he’s fighting against and fighting for. Your supporting characters need to have their own agendas and it’s vital that they don’t always agree with the protagonist. You need that conflict to move things along.

Easier said than done sometimes. If you’re looking for some insight into how to make believable conflict and tension, here’s some reading material to give you food for thought: Continue reading →