The first post on this blog was written in 2010. That feels like a lifetime ago! The last post was written in 2019… so about that. I had a couple of kids, moved house, and changed jobs… the last four
Hello, Stranger
Favorite Books of 2018
NONFICTION How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature by Scott Sampson – In addition to becoming a parent in 2018, I also love nature and write for kids, so the topic
Gift Guide for the Writer in your Life
What? It’s not the holidays yet? It’s never too early to start shopping for gifts for the writer (or writers, if you’re lucky!) in your life, and I’ve put together this list of gifts writers really want – not just
How NOT to Format Your Manuscript
Word processors are amazing pieces of software that let us do so many things! You can customize almost any aspect of your document – but should you? Here are some things you SHOULDN’T do when formatting your manuscript. Thanks for
Should My Characters Curse?
What is your opinion on cursing in books? Do you use it in your own writing? In today’s video, I share my thoughts on this interesting subject. Thanks for watching ibelonginabook! I’m Emily, and I am a writer with a
Why I Went to an MFA Program
Have you ever thought about getting an education in writing? If a masters degree in creative writing is something you have never heard of, or something that you might be interested in pursuing in the future, then today’s video is
The Care and Keeping of Ideas
I have heard of a species of writer that keeps only one idea in mind at a time. They live and breathe this one idea, allowing it to consume their minds and all of their spare time. But what does
My Thoughts on Ebooks
Do you only read hard-copies of books, and disdain any mention of the digital reading realm? Or have you lost track of when the last time you read a hard book was because you take your Kindle with you wherever
The Magna Carta Exercise
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
Where I Write
When I was a teenager, I carried a spiral notebook or a set of ten loose ruled pages stapled together and folded in half on my person at all times. I could write anywhere – in the car, while waiting