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I just saw this Maya Angelou quote on Twitter: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”   The concept of an untold story is nothing new to writers. It’s the germ not yet developed. It’s the illusive space before that moment of clarity when you finally say, “Yes, this is the story I need to tell.” I’ve known for a while it was time to start writing my next book. But no story gave me that “greater agony” to push me forward. I faced the same fear other writers have had before me: what if... Read More0

As I mentioned in my last post, I enjoy reading young adult fiction. The storylines hold my interest and the characters are often dynamic, flawed and interesting. The books/series I’ve read have cross-over appeal, attracting readers in their 30s, 40s and beyond. (My book club read The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson; it was one of our favorite books that year.) Here’s my admission: as an adult reader of young adult fiction, I sometimes judge the characters for their decisions and feelings. (And mind you, I don’t have children of my own so this isn’t a maternal thing.) “What?!... Read More0

When I was a kid I thought the summers flew by too quickly. That’s nothing to how I feel as an adult! With business trips, a week being sick, family visiting and numerous writing projects (on top of a busy day job), June disappeared before I could even say hello. So, “Hello, July, won’t you stick around a while?” As a “yet to be published” author, rejection is on my mind quite a bit — especially now that six agents are reading one of my manuscripts and three agents are reading another.  Logic tells me that all nine will NOT... Read More0

Yesterday, I was at a park enjoying the sunny day and the live music at Animas Riverfest. I ran into a former work colleague I hadn’t seen in three years or more. I faced the same dilemma I face every time someone asks what I’m “doing” now. “Oh, I’m still a marketing and communications specialist for Goodwill Industries International,” I typically say. And, then I must decide whether to share that I am also a writer — of fiction. If I do share, then the conversation ALWAYS goes the same way. I kid you not. EVERY SINGLE TIME. First, they ask... Read More0

Writer blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social media have made it easier (and faster) for authors to get their work noticed by other writers, agents and publishing houses. One phenomenon to arise from this instant accessibility is the CONTEST!  Your first 250 words! Your query letter!  Your most suspenseful scene! Your best dialogue! There are numerous schools of thought about contests. Let’s look at two. One lauds contests as a means to land an agent. And success stories abound about how a writer found his/her agent in this way. Critics, though, say that contests (when entered too often) deluge the same... Read More0

My fingers are stained orange as I type this because I ate crunchy Cheetos for lunch.  You’ll see why later. None of us knows the exact time and date of our deaths. Mortality statistics give us the impression that we’ll live to a ripe old age (76.3 years for males; 81.1 years for females).  Without a firm idea of the time we have left, some of us put off doing things (saying things), believing we have all the time in the world. That’s why I read obits. These stand out in my memory. the vivacious 19-year-old woman who suffered a... Read More0

Most writers partake of (choke on?) some version of the Critique Sandwich (whether they are aware of it or not).  It goes like this:  to avoid completely demoralizing a writer, the critique partner (editor, loved one, etc.) says something positive first, then follows with what needs improving, then ends with something positive. When we’re lucky, the ‘filling’ on the critique sandwich isn’t so thick as to overwhelm the ‘bread.’I’ve been an editor for too many years to count. When I was younger, I was often guilty of throwing a whole lot of filling at writers without softening the critique. I... Read More0