In his book No Plot? No Problem! Chris Baty describes this exercise as the Magna Carta list. I call it books that make my heart hurt, and it’s a great way to determine which story elements from your favorite book
The Magna Carta Exercise
Writing Tools
Every writer has favorite tools that help them hone their craft. From fancy computer programs to simple notebooks, here’s a list of tools I use or have used in the past, and what I like about them. The Basics: Pen
Books That Make My Heart Hurt: How to Get Out of a Writing Slump and Figure out What You Should be Writing
It’s probably no secret that I’ve been in a bit of a writing slump lately. Something about the deadlines that came with my low-res MFA program, and the knowledge that when I met them someone would be there to read
The Books on My Bookshelves
Since I moved this summer and had to pack up, move, and unpack all of my books again, I thought I’d share with you what’s on my bookshelf!
Query Letter Tips
I think every writer I know detests writing query letters. Here are some tips to help!
Write Every Day?
Write. Write more. Write even more. Write even more than that. Write when you don’t want to. Write when you do. Write when you have something to say. Write when you don’t. Write every day. Keep writing. ― Brian Clark You must write every single day of your life… You
2014: A Big Year
Yes, this is a recap post. 🙂 2014 has been such a huge year for me, personally, academically, and in the world of literature. Instead of summarizing my summary, I’ll get right to it. Winter In January, I became Mrs.
NaNoWriMo: A Room of My Own
My whole life I’ve imagined what it would be like to have an entire room in a house that was dedicated to books, both their creation and consumption. In honor of NaNo, here’s what that looks like! When we bought
NaNoWriMo: A Pantsing Planner
Everyone familiar with National Novel Writing Month knows there are exactly two types of participants: the planet and the pantser. Each group is simply doing what works for them, whether that is extensive character sketches, maps, and 3,000 word outlines,
NaNoWriMo: Why “serious” writers should promote rather than dismiss
Many of you will shake your heads upon reading this. Or perhaps even roll your eyes. Maybe blow a raspberry, send a prayer heavenward. I’m going to say it anyway. NaNoWriMo season has arrived. This year, more than usual, I’ve