Everyone is writing Christmas short stories, so I decided to try my hand at one yesterday. As always, it turned out overly dramatic, but here you go anyway! Sadie hung the last ornament, a simple silver bell. Perhaps the simplest of all her ornaments. And yet. With a soft stroke of her hand, the tiny… Continue reading The Whole Story
Tag: Writer
NaNo Updates and Word Wars
So much for writing throughout all of NaNo, hmm? Well, the truth is, my writing has been so sporadic and usually at such late hours, that I simply haven't made the time to update you all. For all that, however, I'm running fairly on time. I am at about 33,000 words and though it is… Continue reading NaNo Updates and Word Wars
NaNo Day 3 & 4
There's a reason I didn't do a post yesterday...I didn't finish my goal word count until 1:30 AM. I had to push pretty hard to make myself finish, and apparently I wrote myself out because so far today, I've done a grand total of 511 words. Instead of writing during the day yesterday, I cleaned,… Continue reading NaNo Day 3 & 4
NaNoWriMo Day 2 and Query Letters
It is 11:15 PM so I figured I should get in my blog post for the day. I'm not quite at my word count goal for the day, but I know I will reach it! I've got about 300 more to go, and I'll have written 3,000 today - ugh, I'd better get that in… Continue reading NaNoWriMo Day 2 and Query Letters
Priorities
One of the most difficult parts about being a writer - particularly an unpublished one - is giving yourself priority. It is so easy to dismiss your needs, because the only person who will know is you (and God. And your husband. And any other writers who might be holding you accountable.). But, the point… Continue reading Priorities
Deep Dives
It's been a few weeks. And if you don't follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have no idea where I went. I promise I had good reason for disappearing. In summary, I was doing a deep dive into my three main projects. And here are the results: Drawn Into Love: I know, I know… Continue reading Deep Dives
Facing My Book
Today, I am doing something in my writing career that I have never done before. I...am creating an outline. Yup. A book outline. As in, writing down the scenes, the purposes of the scenes, the character goals and motivations, etc. Basically, I'm creating the most epic spreadsheet ever to break this book down into the… Continue reading Facing My Book
Storytellers Conference: Day 2
Building your Brand with Flourish Writers The first session today was supposed to be Deep and Simple Writing, but the speaker cancelled at the last minute, so the host stepped in with the building your brand presentation! I am ashamed to say I missed the name of the actual presenter (I think it might have… Continue reading Storytellers Conference: Day 2
Storytellers Virtual Conference: Day 1
I had the opportunity this week to attend the Storytellers Virtual Writers Retreat by Flourish Writers. It was free to attend, unless I chose to pay for the all-access pass which offered additional benefits, including access to the recordings, and since I didn't think I would get to attend any writer's conference this year I… Continue reading Storytellers Virtual Conference: Day 1
That Elusive Acceptance
Last month, I received my first acceptance letter, along with a check for $20. I know, I know, you are wondering why on earth, I didn't write about it right away?? Or even in last week's blog post?? The answer to that is complex, and I'm not going to bore you by retyping my three-page… Continue reading That Elusive Acceptance
Forest Idylls 