forget sprockets: keep revising

Are we all revising like bunnies? Yeah, I have no clue what that simile means, either. But aren’t they cute? To recap: First, I printed out all my chapters. Then, put together a bunch of note cards with the stuff that happens in my manuscript, chapter by chapter. That concludes my recap. Now, OUTLINES. Yes, [...]

Read Full Post »

chasing the right monsters

I don’t want to waste time writing down the wrong path, but here’s what happened to me the other day… I’m in the last quarter of my WIP, with lots and lots of subplots going. That’s fine, it’s a first draft when all possibilities must fly. But I hate the feeling you get when you [...]

Read Full Post »

another post about finding the perfect word

Yes, I’m that picky kind of writer. It’s hard for me to spew stuff willy-nilly, though I’m trying to learn that talent. I stand in awe of people who churn out 5,000 words a day and then go back to consolidate and shape their raw words into a cohesive story. You DO go back and [...]

Read Full Post »

oh yeah. i swore a solemn oath…

…that I would blog every Tuesday and Friday. Dang my unrelenting Spring Resolutions. Okay, I’ll take a break to let you know what I’m doing today. I’m sure you are fully aware that I have FINISHED MY WIP AND I AM INTO REVISION TIME. No, this is nothing like Hammer Time. Because I definitely can [...]

Read Full Post »

dashing to the finish

I am in the throes of the pulse-racing climax and thrilling conclusion of my WIP.  While I’ve enjoyed the hades out of writing this one, I can’t wait to finish the first draft. Why? Well, Scooby Doo, I thought you’d never ask: TOP FIVE REASONS I WANT TO FINISH MY FIRST DRAFT: 1.  I can’t [...]

Read Full Post »

back in the saddle again: seven steps to a first draft

How do you get back into the writing routine, when you’ve had a reeeaallly long holiday? I haven’t abandoned writing altogether, though you couldn’t tell by reading this blog. I continued to put together my regional SCBWI weekly e-newsletter. I blogged. Kind of. I guest-blogged.  Once. Took notes, researching my next opus. Wrote e-mails. Grocery [...]

Read Full Post »