Do you have a revision process? Or does your process look something like not being able to keep track of all your notes and comment and story threads, not to mention character arcs and subplots and layering in emotion? Or, does it look more like an endless cycle of revision-feedback-revision-feedback to the point where youContinue reading “3 Tips to Kickstart Your Revision Process”
Category Archives: writing
Can You Diagnose Your Story Problem Alone?
I got to ring the bell at my physical therapy office last week for completing my therapy. I started PT in May for a lower back issue. Around the same time I had also developed a shoulder injury, so once the back was under control, we added shoulder, then moved to exclusively shoulder. I wentContinue reading “Can You Diagnose Your Story Problem Alone?”
How Long Does it Take to Write a Book?
It Depends on Your Process I was at a writing event once where a relatively new writer was sharing how he had woken from a dream with a new idea, went to the keyboard, and in a month had “finished” his 100,000+ word book. 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 That is a blistering pace in a month for aContinue reading “How Long Does it Take to Write a Book?”
My 2026 Word of the Year
January 1 is as arbitrary a day as any for new starts, because let’s be real. You can start a novel any day. Start working out any day. Resolve to stop getting take out lunch any day. Start a new hobby any day. But, a year is also a container–and I’m all about containers (hello,Continue reading “My 2026 Word of the Year”
My Roller Coaster First Year with my Agent(s)
A year ago this week, I got THE response every writer wants to a query. I had been querying my contemporary fiction novel since late fall of 2023. I was batch querying – so attempting to only send out a few at a time and only sending new queries when I got responses. The goalContinue reading “My Roller Coaster First Year with my Agent(s)”
You Finished Novel November…Now What? Create a revision plan that keeps your momentum moving in the right direction
To all my tired writers out there who just slogged through Novel November: CONGRATS!! You wrote a whole bunch of words you should be proud of. Not because they are particularly special yet, but because you did the hard work of getting the bones of your story down. This is no small feat! At the sameContinue reading “You Finished Novel November…Now What? Create a revision plan that keeps your momentum moving in the right direction”
Is Something Holding You Back In Your Writing Career?
Give yourself permission to dream big this year! I have been holding back on something. I think it’s a big something. It’s no secret I am a woman of a certain age (the kind of age with a big 0 coming after it in January) and all the fun challenges that come with it. IContinue reading “Is Something Holding You Back In Your Writing Career?”
Is it Time to Hire a Book Coach?
If you’ve been following along in this space, hopefully you’ve found some tips to help with your writing project. You may even have purchased the Revision Road Map, the self-paced mini-course to help you triage and organize your revision. But what if you find yourself still struggling with your story? Something is not working, you justContinue reading “Is it Time to Hire a Book Coach?”
How to Create Your Own Beach Retreat Magic
It has been a long time since I’ve written new words. Back in the winter, I was revising my previous manuscript to get it in shape for submission. Then there was the great pneumonia infection of 2025 (0 out of 5 stars, do not recommend). Then we merged straight into spring senior activities, graduation, collegeContinue reading “How to Create Your Own Beach Retreat Magic”
A Book Coach is a Light Switch: You Don’t Have to Write in the Dark!
What is it like to work with a book coach on your project? Let’s take a look at some feedback I received from a writer I worked with to get the real feel. “First, the whole process was very professional and thoughtful. Then there was the feedback. It was organized in a way that wasContinue reading “A Book Coach is a Light Switch: You Don’t Have to Write in the Dark!”