Follow my blog with Bloglovin I’m trying to check off all the things on my writer’s to-do list before we start the new decade. It’s a long list, full of things that should have been taken care of months (*cough* years) ago. But hey, let’s celebrate that I’m giving it the old college try. At any rate, one box that’s … Read More
Taking Back Our Democracy
This Tuesday is election day in Kentucky, and the governor’s race is like something out of a scripted reality show. You know, that high-drama trope that has the evil incumbent with tons of corrupt money backing his oh-my-god-ridiculously-negative-ad campaign squaring off with the good-guy-grassroots-man who is fighting to change things for the better. The problem is, this isn’t a cheesy … Read More
Through the Eyes of an Editor
Before manuscripts morph into books, they go through several stages of development, which involves three or four different edits, depending on the work. If you’re new to the publishing world or you’ve never understood the editing process, I highly recommend watching this introductory video by the incredible Joanna Penn. The first, and, for me, the most important, is developmental editing, which … Read More
A Writer’s Guide to Self-Care
It’s no secret that creatives are more at risk for depression, but for writers, it can be especially tough. Our craft is a solitary endeavor, spending hours in front of a keyboard. For those prone to feelings of loneliness, the isolation, the lack of sunlight and human interaction that writing often brings, can plunge them into the dark waters of … Read More
Wanna Win a Hundred Bucks?
I’m so honored to be participating in an incredible giveaway that features fantasy/paranormal authors. If you’d like to expand you TBR, just click on the link and like the BookBub author pages. What’s great about this is BookBub only emails you when the authors you follow get ready to release a new book or make a book suggestion. It’s a … Read More
The Polarization of America
Polarization is the latest buzz word; it seems. The word originated in the scientific realm and was predominantly used for wave oscillations. Much like sound waves on a guitar string, the action of plucking the string creates a reaction that streams to both ends simultaneously, causing symmetrical vibrations which then turns into sound. It’s an oversimplification, I know, but … Read More
Five Things Every Pantser Should Plan
The idiom “Flying by the seat of your pants” was originated in the 1930s when pilots had to rely on instinct instead of navigational devices. Most viewed these gutsy pioneers as heroes who thumbed their noses at danger and took fate into their own hands. Much like the first pilots, writing pantsers have that same larger-than-life view of storytelling. They … Read More
Life is Hope
Suicide. Most people shy away from the subject. It’s difficult, and uncomfortable, and leaves us facing our own mortality. We’d rather smile, nod our heads and switch the conversation to something safe and mundane–like redecorating our bathroom or go on and on about how we’re looking forward to spring. It’s a way to stick our head in the proverbial sand, … Read More
Understanding Narrative Distance
Recently, I’ve been doing a slew of content editing, which is difficult for me at best. There are two reasons for this. One, as a writer, it’s my natural tendency to interject my voice into anything. I struggle to assess a story, the characters, the pacing, the voicing, the plot and any holes there might be, without changing the style … Read More
Running a Lean Mean Marketing Machine
I did a post on Facebook’s latest changes regarding groups and pages last month, but even authors that had prepared for the switch were shell shocked at the results, both in sales and in reader interaction. Algorithms have destroyed any hope of reaching new readers without paying for an ad or running a sponsored post. My friend LK Griffie has been saying for … Read More