It’s Monday morning and I ought to be writing. I really should. I have deadlines. I promised my editor Fleet of Malik Book 3 by January. I have impatient crit partners wondering when I’m going to hand the manuscript over. And yet… here I am. Monday morning. Eleven A.M.. Staring…
1 – SCENE CHECK – Make sure every chapter or new scene is adequately described. This includes rich description for the first introduction (300-500 words for novels) and a reminder description for subsequent visits. 2 – CHARACTER CHECK – When each character was introduced for the first time from another…
This post has content warnings for: ableism, abortion, miscarriage, chronic pain, police brutality, eugenics, and body parts. . . . Let me start this post by saying my entire life is the topic of political debate. I was born with a genetic mutation that negatively impacts my health by making…
GENRE It’s a scary word for some people. I’ve met people who will argue genre until they are blue in the face. I have met people who think genre is a form of gate-keeping. I have met people who think genre is a waste of time. I have never met…
Meteorological Winter begins December 1st for the northern hemisphere (as opposed to astronomical winter that begins with the winter solstice). Just like the sky and weather Publishing has its own seasons. Seasons of feast and famine. Seasons to query and seasons to edit. Seasons to publish and seasons to sit…
Originally, CHANGE OF MOMENTUM was going to release in late 2018 or early 2019. That deadline flew by when I realized I was at 90,000 words and nowhere near the end of the story. I sat down with my editor and we realized the problem was the couple. Rowena Lee…
What happens when you get frustrated with writing? What happens when you want to quit?How do you cope with a persistent case of writer’s block or the writer’s blues? Here are my five go-to solutions for escaping the doldrums and getting back to work. 1) Save the document in a…
Hey! How are you? Long time now blog… It’s been a little busy over at the Brooks’ place. I know, I say that every time I log in, but it’s true. I had a really easy month planned and then I volunteered for something. I know. Terrible decision really. But…
“Why are we doing this?” My crit partner looked back from the computer screen. She’s on spring holiday in Australia and we were Skyping to discuss plots, goals, and problems. “I dunno,” I said, which was eloquent for that time of night. Being best friends with someone on the other…
QUERY(n) – the letter a hopeful author sends to an agent or editor with the express wish of getting the manuscript off their desk and onto someone else’s publication schedule. The query is an essential part of the publication process even for Indie Authors, it’s also one of the…