I’ve been waiting forever to give this update: I’ve finished another book! That’s right, Novel No. 2 is a wrap. It still has to go through editing, which is slated to happen this month, but the writing of the manuscript is done. Actually, it was done around mid-April, but I still haven’t emotionally processed it. Story of my life, it seems. So, without further ado… Introducing: The Mysteriarch of Magnolia. Detective Ernest Cubbedge is called in to find a missing girl. The catch? The old southern patriarch who says she is missing from his house has lived alone for the past five years, and the men of the village have…
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Author Update: In the Last Leg of Book Two
No, it’s not a sequel. Just the next book by yours truly. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let Me Reintroduce Myself Hi! It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve given you a glimpse behind the curtain to my writing workshop (or rather desk. It’s a desk.) so come on in. I have a lot to update you on, and I’m super excited about it! (Yes, in spite of that bummer of a last article I wrote. Honesty is important, but that one was a tough admission. Read it here.) Meet the New Baby Okay, so it’s not quite ready yet, but I’m in the last chapters! This one…
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An Unexpected Hurdle: Book Postpartum Depression
I made you. I love you. I made you because I love you. So why is it so hard for me to interact with you? Hitting that phase of adult life where most of my friends are getting married and having babies has introduced me to the concept of postpartum depression. And though I’m a single person with no children, hearing about what it’s like to experience postpartum depression made my ears perk up because it sounded so familiar. But not with a baby. With a book. It’s been over a year since the publication and release of my first book. It hasn’t felt at all the way I expected…
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Into the Darkness: How I Approach Writing Traumatic Events
Show, don’t tell. That’s the iconic writing advice. Sensory details plunge us into a story and hold us captive. The more vivid and dramatic, the better, right? Sometimes. But every storyteller has their limits. I occasionally wonder if showing restraint in how intimately I portray dark scenes will hurt my career. Think about the most popular TV shows. They usually have some pretty traumatic and gruesome scenes, and those are constantly making the headlines. So like everyone else, I often have to make a choice. Which details enhance the story, and which ones take it too far? Let’s take a look at the competition. Movies and TV are a hard…
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My Top 5 Tips to Optimize Your Writing Process
Every writer wants to know new ways to help them write more, better, or more often. I’ll let you in on my own routine for kicks and giggles, but remember it always comes down to what works for you. It’s really a matter of trial and error. So what works for me might leave you stymied, and what works for you might end in me scrolling Pinterest instead of typing words.So without further ado… My Top Writing Process Tips: Routine and Habitat 1. Make playlists. If you’re like me, music can be a double-edged sword: rife with inspiration, but a sucker for your attention if you’re not careful. Some writers…
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An Argument for Cross-Genre Fiction
There’s no denying that categorization can be useful. It can help us find what we want. But I have to be honest: I hate book genres. In some ways, I can appreciate knowing what to expect in the form of parameters. If you know you love romance and require a happy ending, you know where to look. If your favorite thing is clever world-building, sci-fi is probably your friend. Trust me, it’s a lot easier than searching the whole bookstore for something you’ll like. (Take it from somebody who generally ends up doing just that.) But no matter how you cut it, I’ve got beef with genres in general, and…
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What does it cost to self-publish?
Plenty of variables will impact your bottom line, but I’m going to give you a quick run-down of the basics you’ll need to budget in order to self-publish your book. These are what I consider the absolute non-negotiables. Once you start marketing your book, you’ll be looking at other expenses, including buying ads and whatever other methods you choose, but this list will get you to where your book is available for purchase. Once I’ve done more marketing of my own, I may add those expenses to this list or write another just for marketing. Professional editing – Expect to pay at least $1,000 and then make sure you have…
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Please Do Not Feed the Pigs
Hey. You. Starry-eyed writer. You. Listen to me. I know you just want to write your stories and, God willing, get paid for it, but let me tell you something: there is a crowd of people between you and your audience. They will say they can help you. Now listen to me. *takes your little face in my hands* Don’t assume you can trust them, nor that you actually need what they’re offering. Let’s face it: you’re new, impressionable, and scared. This industry is like a big freaking secret; it feels like you can’t find an in anywhere, no matter how good your writing is. So whenever someone waves and…
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An Ode to the Illusionist
Authors are not the only creators of fiction. Actors, both on the stage and the silver screen, are our brethren. They breathe characters in and walk around in their shoes, like the most intimately connected of readers. Visual artists, too, can create fiction. They may draw scenes or give a face to a character who visits readers only in little snatches. But there is one creator of fiction who is often forgotten, and that is the illusionist. I hope no one makes their entire way through life without experiencing the magic of the theater. When the lights go down and the curtains come up, it’s like your body doesn’t exist…
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Why You Should Write That Thing
The only thing writers are better at doing than writing is making excuses. (Admit it! You know it’s true.) And one of our favorite things to excuse ourselves for is, ironically, not writing. Now, if you’re a writer, this is not news to you. Probably you’re reading this article about why you should Write That Thing so that you don’t have to actually open the document and write it. I see you. (And I’m here preaching to you instead of hashing out my latest novel. So we’re even.) But I’m not here to talk about procrastination. I’m talking about stifling a story. I don’t know how inspiration comes to other…