After a chaotic month with a lot of travel and a lot of behind-the-scenes chaos I took time Friday night to sit down with my kids (who are all teens or older at this point) and watch the movie the youngest one has been talking about nonstop: Moana 2. I…
Do you know what the major difference between a published author and an unpublished author is? Quitting. That’s, by and large, the only difference. The people who quit mid-first draft, the people who quit after their first query rejection, the people who quit before they write anything… they probably could…
Into every life a little rain must fall, and, friends, it’s monsoon season! In an ever-changing publishing world the newest challenge is AI. You’d think I’d be thrilled. I *want* to be thrilled. I grew up on Asimov and Star Trek. I love The Murderbot Diaries and stories about Stabby…
Several years ago, when GAME OF THRONES was still a popular TV show, I saw an article about an interview with the costume designer Michele Clapton that really changed the way I looked at fashion in storytelling. I was already familiar with the concept of fashion as a form of…
Any Submission Packet Critique or Contest Critique booked in January gets a 10% off*. What Is A Submission Packet Critique? A thorough review of your query submission packet: the synopsis, query, and first five pages. This critique covers everything to make sure you are sending agents and editors your very…
Any Editorial Assessment booked in December gets a $50 credit*. What Is An Editorial Assessment? An Editorial Assessment is a basic editing letter that gives you the feedback you need to start your edits. The letter is 1-4 pages in length, covers the big picture edits, and offers recommendations on…
I never took a formal, in-school creative writing course. In fact, my only brush with creative writing was my freshman year of high school where the student teacher who had already realized she hated teaching tried desperately to figure out how to fill the last quarter of the year. I…
Editing Letters… they are often the most beautiful and intimidating part of working with an editor. An editing letter exposes the soul of your book. It looks at all the weak points, highlights the flaws, and flails your ego with all the things that went terribly wrong. A good editing…
Congratulations on having a finished draft of your manuscript. The next step is editing the manuscript to the best of your abilities before you hand it off to a crit partner or editor. This is the essential checklist to get you started. Search for an unpack the following words: Thinks, Knows,…
No matter where you are in your editing career you need to know how to edit yourself. For the month of March the Writer Craft Wednesday posts will all be centered on how to edit your own work. Keep in mind that these are guidelines that have worked for me,…