When the Insanity Begins…

In only 1 hour for me the clock will strike midnight marking November 1st and the insanity will begin. What insanity you ask? Why, National Novel Writing Month of course! If you have no idea what I am talking about you can check out a post about it here or the official site here. It is a tradition for many participants to start writing the moment that clock hits 12 AM. Being the crazy person (or person-ish thing) I am, of course I am going to stay up late! It is one of the most exciting parts of NaNo—counting down…

Continue ReadingWhen the Insanity Begins…

Beautiful People: NaNoWriMo Novel

Thanks to an awesome person I know from the NaNoWriMo site named ZNZ and her fantastic blog (which you should totally check out) Jotting Down Notes, I have discovered something called Beautiful People. Two lovely bloggers, Sky and Georgie, started this some months ago. Every month they give out a list of questions for bloggers to answer about their personal story characters. You can do the same character each month or choose a different one each time. If you would like you can check out the FAQ for more information. It is such a wonderful idea and I’ve been meaning…

Continue ReadingBeautiful People: NaNoWriMo Novel

Step by Step Guide to Outlining a Novel

Being as how NaNoWriMo is sneaking upon us, I thought I would write about my personal way of outlining a novel. In the writing world there are two kinds of people, the Pantsers and the Planners. Pantser is short for “Seat of the Pantser.” Basically that means one writes by the “seat of their pants” and does not plan a thing. Planners is a rather obvious term. They are those organized people who actually sit down and plan out their characters and story line. You must know something, I have always been a Pantser. I have a general idea of…

Continue ReadingStep by Step Guide to Outlining a Novel

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

In the month of November, over 100k people do one crazy task: Write a 50k novel in 30 days. This is called National Novel Writing Month, or, as usually referred to, NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo started out 13 years ago by a small group of people who wanted to try their hand at novel writing. This formed into the official site NaNoWriMo.org where anyone can join in on the insanity of writing 50k words in only 30 days. It quickly grew into a sensation and now has thousands and thousands of participants, not only national but international, every year. 50,000 words in…

Continue ReadingNational Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Writer’s Block

Things are going so well with your story. You are writing and writing. Inspiration is literally shooting out rainbows from you head to your fingers, sparkling on the way down. You have such fun. What a great story. What an enjoyable thing to write. What fantastic characters and plot. All is going so well. …And then it comes. Writer’s Block. The bane of my existence. It comes out of nowhere. A giant blockade full of barbed wire, duct tape, and sometimes even fire, rising up like a ten foot thick, steel wall blocking that rainbow midsentence. All that inspiration is…

Continue ReadingWriter’s Block

Dear Slightly,

You are a fine word. There are many uses for one such as yourself. Adjectives have a high ranking in our English vocabulary and you have proved yourself as one of the best. But I think it is time we part from one another. Yes, dear Slightly, it is true. As I edit my book, I find you scattered all across the pages. Paragraph after paragraph, sentence after sentence, there you are, often multiple times. I do not know if it is you or I. Is it my own lack of ability to use other words to describe my sentences,…

Continue ReadingDear Slightly,

The Dragons of Chiril Book Review

Synopsis Tipper is a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions—including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon—and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of…

Continue ReadingThe Dragons of Chiril Book Review

This is Going to Take a While…

I must admit to something. I have not started editing until just last night. But, on the other, more optimistic, hand: I started editing last night! ^_^ In my defense, I have been sick and feeling quite dead for the past few days. I could barely pay attention to the screen in front of me, which is no state to edit in. I would probably have made my book worse if I tried to edit like that. <--Valid excuse!! *cough* Anyways, I did begin editing last night. And you know what? I edited for 45 whole minutes! You know how…

Continue ReadingThis is Going to Take a While…

Swords of the Six Book Review

Synopsis After being betrayed by his own greatest warriors one thousand years ago, the great white dragon hatches six human daughters, with his own dragon blood flowing within them, from eggs. Arming them with the very swords of the traitors’, the daughters are trained in the ways of the sword. Six daughters, dragon blood flowing within their veins, are now sent off alone to bring one of the traitors to repentance, or justice. Later, Ilfedo, a man of the woods, meets up with Dantress, the youngest but most powerful of the daughters, making their fates intertwine. Betrayal and love circles…

Continue ReadingSwords of the Six Book Review

That Evil Practice Known as Editing

We write and write and write, working so hard, long hours, days on end, sleepless nights, much coffee consumption, and then it is finally over… Or is it? After working on a long book, there is no better feeling than finishing it. Something I rarely do but get so much pleasure out of it once it is done. I feel like celebrating, telling everyone I know, jumping up and down and squealing a little…then a realization comes to me that brings me back to my feet, painfully. Editing. Oh editing, I hate it. Writing is so much fun, but then…

Continue ReadingThat Evil Practice Known as Editing