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A collection of 560 posts

publication

Man in the Mirror Galley

I love PDF files. Today I got the galley for my QueeredFiction short story, “The Man in the Mirror.” It’s exciting to see what it’s going to look like published. The file is still confidential, so I unfortunately can’t show it off . . . yet. 😉

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Friday: Fun or Focus?

I’m having a bit of trouble focusing today, flitting from one task to another. I did a few hours of work this morning and will do more this afternoon and evening, revised some previous assignments, and packed a few boxes. I’m waiting for my mind to settle down

girls' voices

Support Girls' Voices!

Although I’ve been writing stories since before I learned to write (I put together picture books which I “read” to my family), I decided that I officially wanted to be a writer when I was 10 years old, thanks to the encouragement of a substitute teacher who I didn’

editing

Unwriting

Now that I’m heavy into the revision of my novel, I spend my alotted writing time doing a variety of things to it: writing completely new material, cutting and pasting sections, deleting a lot, and scratching my head during it all. I’ve been using the “timed” method of

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Quick Update

* My newest post just went up at Young Adult Catholics, examining how the “blaming the victim” mentality figures into oppression and Catholicism. * I’m serving on a committee seeking to give progressive young adult Catholics a voice in Catholic printed media. * I’m milking my experience with chronic migraines for

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A Tourist Trap for Creatives

I just got back from a weekend in Wisconsin, visiting the House on the Rock for the third time. Two questions might come to mind: why keep going back, and what does that have to do with writing? For me, the answer to both those questions are intertwined. Alex Jordan,

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Scare Someone Today

“It is a writer’s job to write what is difficult to write, to say the things others are afraid to say. We should take on projects that frighten others.” – Valerie Laken, author of Dream House

outlining

The Writing Itch

Some writers thrive on chaos. I am not one of them. My writing thrives on routine, so summer, with its irresistable activities and travels, is always hard on my manuscripts. Add to that the fact that I’m preparing for a move — and I’ve already admitted that I don’

publishing opportunities

Writing Contests

It looks like Delacorte Press is holding their young adult novel contest this year after all. It’s a good thing I finally started writing again today. Also, the WeBook Poetry Contest is now open for judging. I got an email from them today congratulating me on entering the contest.

critiques

If You Love Poetry (or even if you don't)

Tomorrow, July 31, is the last chance to submit poetry to WEbook’s Poetry Vote. Even if you don’t submit poetry, WEbook is worth checking out for the writers’ community it provides. When I put a few of my poems up, I didn’t expect to get much feedback

NaNoWriMo

My Writing Space

Reading that the NaNoWriMo blog* is hosting pictures of writing spaces all throughout August inspired me to take some pictures of mine, humble though it may be. I’ve also been meaning to get photos before I set up a brand new writing space in my new home in six

blogging hiatus

Warning: Another Blogging Haitus

There are essentially two indicators of how on top of things I am in my life: 1. How clean my apartment is and 2. How regularly I update this blog Luckily, none of my blog readers are privvy to #1 on a regular basis, and I’m going to be

blurb writing

The Joy of a Good Edit

Yesterday, I received my edits of “The Man in the Mirror” from QueeredFiction. I was a bit nervous to open the document. Although I’ve been heavily edited when I’ve written something “on-the-job,” this is the first time my fiction has been edited for publication. But as someone who

critiques

Amateur Writers -- Who, us?

Every morning, I read publications for writers before I come here. This morning, I read an article in The Writer about writer’s block that advised writers not to share unfinished work with their writers group, proclaiming that sharing such work would simply lead to “the blind leading the blind.

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My Life's Change of Setting

It looks like the move I hinted at in my earlier entry is a go. The decision to go forward with it has everything to do with my desire to be a writer. I’ve always considered myself a “serious” writer because I’ve always found a way to integrate

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If you can't be the best, why not be the worst?

A friend recently sent me the winning entry of this year’s Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest. The contest calls for literary parodies and gives an award for the most poorly written opener to a (possibly non-existant) novel. The contest is in memory of the author who penned the immortal words, “It

opportunities

Procrastination - Pros and Cons

If there’s one thing writers love even more than writing, it might be procrastinating. I like to think of myself as someone who has fairly good time management skills, but I’ve gotten in touch with my inner procrastinator since going freelance. I used to always get my work

grammar

Are you nauseous?

I’m not nauseous, but I am a bit headachy and sneezy. But that’s not what I came here to blog about. I’m working on a manuscript that takes place within he healthcare field, and I got a little suspicious about whether the word “nauseated” was being used

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Subscribe to my Blog!

Thanks to a query I received yesterday, I’ve added a button for subscribing to my feed in a reader to my blog. I would love it if interested parties would subscribe to make sure it’s working. WordPress doesn’t make adding this button super easy, which is why

article writing

Writing for the Web

Over the weekend, I talked to a friend who was stressed out about some web content she was writing. Since most of the writing I do for a “real audience” these days is web writing, I thought I might pass on some of what I’ve learned to her–and

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Routine, Writing, Productivity, and Accountability

Other writers may be successful by following their whims, but for me, routine is the secret to productivity. That means that when nothing disrupts my routine, I can get a lot accomplished. Unfortunately, it also means that disruptions to my routine (travel or illness, for example), can leave me trying

call for submissions

Put Those Poems to Good Use

I just entered three of my poems from National Poetry Writing Month into WEbook‘s poetry contest. WEbook calls themselves the “American Idol” of creative writing. Essentially, it’s a vast web community of writers and readers who write, upload, read, and critique the user-generated content on the site. From

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Success is Contagious

I feel a bit sheepish showing my face here for the first time this week on a Thursday, but I live in an area where summer is fleeting, and therefore, precious. I’m taking opportunities to camp and travel when I can, which means I spend almost all my non-travel

article writing

Pros and Cons of Writing for Content Sites

Pros * With all the content writing sites available, there’s a good chance you’ll find something that jives with the type of writing YOU want to do. * The Internet now presents more opportunities to make money off your writing than ever before. * Your work is viewed by a real

article writing

Content Writing Sites: What are They?

A friend of mine (who, incidentally, has a great blog here) recently asked about content writing sites. I realized that I mention them often in passing but haven’t actually defined them in this blog. Basically, content writing sites are sites that are hungry for content–usually text, but sometimes