Finding Conflict

As a writer, drama is a requirement. Without conflict, you don’t have a story. Sure, you can have a pleasant tale about pleasant people doing pleasant things, but no one wants to read 30 pages of that story, let alone 300 pages.

Use Your Words

My brain is constantly jumping from one thing to the next, the tangents leading from one train of thought to the next lightning-quick. I pride myself for being able to make connections in others’ conversations long before they get to the point, and I often get frustrated if I feel like someone is taking too long to get to that point.

Yes, this is partially what leads me to interrupt people a lot (a terrible habit, I know), and it’s also super annoying for the person I’m talking to when I assume incorrectly and take the conversation in a direction they weren’t expecting.

Getting the Junk Out of Your Head

I recently started to journal again, and I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner. The concept is simple enough—open a notebook or word doc or whatever device you prefer, then write down whatever’s on your mind—but there are a lot of reasons people might avoid journaling.

Word Puzzles

The momentum I felt at the end of the puzzle is the same thing that happens when I get to the end of a manuscript. In the months I’m writing the first draft, it can be a struggle to reach my daily word goals, but when I’m in the final chapters, it’s not uncommon for me to double or triple those goals. The words just fly out of me!

Going Confidently Into the New Year

This year marks ten years since I became a published author, and I have accomplished a lot. But the discipline I once had has slipped. A lot of people tell me I’m prolific, dedicated, and a lot of other nice words. They say I inspire them to reach for their goals. It’s wonderful to hear, believe me, but I feel like a fraud. My writing time is every morning before work, but more often than not, by the time I let the dog out and get my tea and check my email and oh maybe check my social notifications, that turns into 30 minutes. Thirty minutes each day is not enough time to run a business as an author, and it’s definitely not enough time to elevate my career to where I want it to be. To where I almost was a few years ago.

NaNoWheeeeeeeeeeMo

While I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo NINE times, over the past couple years I’ve decided it’s no longer useful for me. Well. Once again, my publishing schedule has led me to start writing a new book in November, so it seems silly to not at least attempt the international month-long challenge of writing a book in thirty days.

Embracing Fall, aka Farewell Summer of Upheaval

The past few years have felt like a roller coaster that keeps going faster and faster until there’s no way to climb off, I just have to hold on tight and hope I’m not flung into the ether, never to be seen again. (Although some days, that seemed like a nice alternative.) Some things were within my control, others were not, but all of them culminated this summer and I’m really really glad to have it all behind me. I’ve alternated between feeling like I’m failing at everything, to not caring that I’m failing at everything, to wishing I could just press pause on life and catch my breath.

Getting to Know Tracy Lawson

Tracy Lawson’s passion for storytelling led her first into the world of dance and educational theater. In a career that has spanned nearly three decades, she has been a dance teacher, a studio owner, and to date has choreographed thirty-two musicals for middle- and high school students. When faced with a mid-life career change spurred by a cross-country move for her husband’s job, Tracy adopted the motto, ‘have laptop, will travel.’ Within a few years, she had achieved a lifelong goal and published her first book, based on the 1838 travel journal of her great-great-great grandfather.

A series of post-apocalyptic novels aimed at young adults and a companion volume to her first nonfiction book followed. Currently Tracy has tapped into another family story for her debut historical fiction. While her body of work may seem varied, the common thread that connects all her books is her characters’ pursuit of individual liberty.

Selling Books in the Rain

Over the weekend, I sold books at my first in-person event in almost two years. (#ThanksCovid) I’ve been fully vaccinated for almost two months, so I loaded my car with plenty of books and hand sanitizer, snacks for the long day, and the blurb for my newest book tripping through my head. Despite being out of practice telling people about my book, I was excited. Never mind the torrential rain forecasted for the weekend — I was going to SELL BOOKS!

Book Owl Word Search!

Welcome to the Book Owl Word Search (BOWS)! To play, write down my secret word, then go to the next blog at the bottom of this post. Follow the chain through all the blog posts, collect the other authors’ secret words, then enter your answers on the official form to be entered to win all the books shown! There are two other colored word searches, so you can enter up to three contests!