As of about 7pm last night, the first draft of my next book is with my first reader. Yes, that first reader is my mom, but she’s an excellent proofreader and catches inconsistencies. Of which I fear there are a lot.
Another Draft is Out the Door!
writing / editing
My Writing Process
When I first get an idea for a new novel, my mind is in overdrive. Ideas come to me rapid-fire and I take notes haphazardly in an effort to get it all down, either in notebooks, stickies, or my phone’s note app. Then I transfer those scribblings into a word document and organize them into character development, backstory, and the story itself.
A Fresh Perspective
The other night my husband and I went out to dinner, as married people do, except we pretended we were on a first date. We asked questions that, after almost five years of marriage, you should already know—what’s your favorite food, what do you like to do when you’re not working, where would you love …
The Fear of Stopping
Any writer will tell you that writing isn’t the hard part*—it’s starting. There’s always one more load of laundry to change, one more meal to prep, one more notification to respond to. Getting your butt in the proverbial chair can sometimes take longer than the actual writing session. Which is why I was nervous when I finished one first draft and shifted gears to publish my upcoming book.
My Ideal Reading Space
Lately we’ve been talking about adding more shelves to my closet, which has led to me imagining my dream reading space. So if you’ll indulge me…
Finding Balance
In my last post I talked about pushing yourself and reaching for the big goals, the ones you think about when you’re falling asleep but are afraid to admit out loud. Now I want to talk about balancing that with the rest of your life.
I’ve talked before about the sacrifices you have to make if you truly want to achieve your goals, but another way of looking at it is balance. If you want to write a novel, but you also have a day job and a family and you coach your son’s soccer team, you may have to cut out something else to find that time.
2018: The Year of Dreaming Big
Write down your goals. And not the easy ones, the ones you know will take work but are easily within your grasp. Write down the ones that scare you. The ones you secretly wish for when no one is listening.
Introducing The Trail Rules!
Introducing The Trail Rules! I’m so excited to announce that you can pre-order The Trail Rules — book 2 in the Rules Series! I’ve had so much fun writing this and cannot wait to share Mike (Mikayla) with the world!
I’m Back—and I’m Giving Away a Kindle Fire!
To celebrate my productivity, I’m giving away a Kindle Fire 7 (8GB with Alexa)! All you have to do to enter is sign up for my newsletter. There are also bonus adds by following me on Instagram, Twitter, and the Facebooks, but really I’m hoping to keep in touch with all of you through my newsletter.
Two Novels in One Year? Sure, Why Not.
Sunday I finished the second draft of The Trail Rules, which I wrote over the summer, so it’s perfectly logical that today I’m starting the first draft of The Edge Rules, the next book in the series.