Revising a chapter that needs to be broken into two tripped me up more than I realized it would last week. I couldn't figure out if I wanted to revise it on paper or in Scrivener and I spent more than a few days worrying out the process. When I finally decided that for this... Continue Reading →
Back in the Reading
Reading for me happens in big swings. I either go a few months without reading anything new or I chew through a couple of new books in a few weeks. I know most of the reason behind that is the stage of life I’m in and I’m working on being ok with that. When the... Continue Reading →
Back in the Writing
I'm back in the writing, walking the woods of this manuscript and it feels magical to be in it. Every time I enter this story, I am grateful to be writing it. MS:D (manuscript key discussion here) is set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and it is one of my very favorite places... Continue Reading →
Revisions on Paper, Revisions on Computer
I’ve made the notes for where chapters/scenes are missing in the manuscript and I’m ready to start the rewrites. The question now is whether or not I print the manuscript and do it on paper or do it all digitally. I’ve done it both ways in the past and honestly I get two different things... Continue Reading →
Plot Work and Adding Backstory
While working on the plot of MS:D last week and getting ready to begin writing in the manuscript again, I found a few issues that needed addressing. When I'm writing a story, I know why my characters are doing what they're doing and I know why they are stressed about the outcome of whatever situation... Continue Reading →
Vulnerability and Working through Plot
Here's a thing that I don't think is said enough. It's a truth I tried to impart to each of my students during my time teaching and it's a truth I remind myself of everyday. Here it is: just because you don't do something the same way as everyone else, doesn't mean you can't do... Continue Reading →
Crawling in Sprints to the Finish Line
Finishing this manuscript was challenging in ways I just didn't expect. But, after many ten and twenty minute writing sprints where I watched the word count slowly creep up, I can finally say that the first draft of MS:L is complete! This last week, the last week of writing this manuscript, proved to be a... Continue Reading →
Writing after a Break
Last week I wrote about 9,000 new words in MS:L. It took a minute to get back into the rhythm of working on it, but it felt really good to move the story that much closer to its’ ending. Getting back into a story after taking a break from writing can be a really refreshing... Continue Reading →
A Word to Lean Into, Quarter 1 Reflections
My word for 2021 is culminate and it has served to both motivate my work and motivate my rest this first quarter of the year. This week I especially leaned into it as I navigated how I was going to leave my period of rest after a few weeks off from writing and set goals... Continue Reading →
Ignoring the Siren Call of Things Not Known
When I am writing a story, I love to research what I'm writing. This is true when it's a subject I'm fairly familiar with, like cooking or crafting, and it's also true with subjects I don't have much experience in, like outdoor survival skills or variants in algebra. When I run into those things I'm... Continue Reading →