Personal Journey Story Category

If I’m not hooked by the opening…

No one else will be. I rewrite the first chapters of my books more than any other part of the story. I don’t write outlines before I start writing a new story. I typically have an idea and just go with it, then along the way the plot and character development get figured out and […]

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Should I cut this chapter…

If I’m asking, the answer is likely YES! My writers’ group is still beta reading the last several chapters of Land of Monsters. After I finished my edits last month, there was still a section toward the end I wasn’t completely happy with. So there I was, preparing the next chapter for submission and writing […]

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Reflections…

And excitement! It’s been two years since my first blog post about my writing journey. Sure, my goals have fluctuated—at times I’ve taken leaps forward and at other times I’ve been stuck in the mire. But after reflecting on the past two years, I am proud of my overall progress. With the help of my […]

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My writing life is back in balance…

High five me! I did it! I finished my edits for Land of Monsters and wrote a synopsis for it. I wrote new scenes for Red Hour. I successfully ignored the shiny new projects and got back to work! How’d I do it? I forced myself to open the work I wanted to address early […]

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The shiny new writing project…

Distracts me. Yes, I have been writing a little each day or several times a week. But it’s random scenes and characters that I want to get out of my brain. It is not related to any of my writing/editing goals. It’s not Red Hour, which I really want to get back to but I […]

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The balance between reading and writing…

Can be tricky. I’ve read the writing advice: it’s important to read books in the genre you write in (and outside of it). Of course you grow through actually writing and engaging in peer review, but you can also grow by diving into the work of other writers. The imagination of others can spark new […]

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Setting goals…

2023 edition. Happy New Year! Fingers crossed most of these goals get accomplished this year… Bonds of Magic series: Dreamcatcher series: Red Hour: Other: Wish me luck in 2023!

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So long 2022…

And thanks for all the fish, I mean growth. This year has been incredible. I grew as a writer thanks to my amazing critique group and new author connections. I’ve been posting almost daily on bookstagram and I’m having so much fun with that community—I even caved and made a couple reels! I read a […]

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Writing breaks are necessary…

Especially when everyone gets the plague. We had a wonderful vacation during the Thanksgiving holiday and returned home to succumb to the plague. The hubs spent several days isolating in the master suite since he was the only one to test positive for The Illness Which Shall Not Be Named. The teen was mostly over […]

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Thanksgiving…

Should last throughout the year. I try to approach each day with a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving. Do I always meet that goal? Heck no! But I try. I absolutely say “thank you” dozens of times a day to everyone I come across no matter how big or small their action was. I want […]

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