Tag: writers

Discovery Writing for Outliners

How do you discovery write with an outline?

In the writing world, there are typically two types of pre-writing techniques that people discuss: planning and pantsing. Planning, or outlining, means the author takes the time to plan out each part of the book, every plot point, subplot, and character arc. Pantsing (writing by the seat of your pants), or discovery writing, as Brandon Sanderson puts it in his Writing Excuses podcast, is writing without planning out what you’re doing.

And then, of course, there is a hybrid of the two, which is usually about where I fall. So how does one plan and also discovery write? Well, I’m glad you asked. That’s the topic of today’s post!

Planning

To discovery write as a planner, you of course need to start with some sort of plan. What that looks like may vary from person to person, but here is the basic idea:

  1. Plotting your story beats. Story beats are the points in the story when major things happen, such as your inciting incident, midpoint, and climax. I follow K.M. Weiland’s Helping Writers Become Authors method for this, with a 3-act structure, for many of my stories. In general, having these mile posts provide a loose structure and goal posts for your writing, giving you direction for your writing. For me, they also give me how many words I should have at each point so I can get closer to my final target word counts (which is good for marketing and querying).
  2. Plotting out the beginning and end. Another method of pre-planning is to just explain what happens in the beginning and what happens at the end. Nothing else, just where you start and where you’re going.
  3. Plot the character arcs. This is one other way you can pre-plot: you figure out where you characters start and where they are going. This might be more applicable for perhaps a contemporary story or character-driven fiction.

Discovery Writing

After you have something small plotted and your milestones in place, the next part is the fun part: you get to just write to see what happens. And it’s perfectly fine to have ideas for scenes already in your head as you start, too! But this will allow for more flexibility to grow your characters and your world, as you’re not constrained by your outline.

I have found when I use a combination of outlining and discovery writing that I develop richer stories with deeper meaning. Take the next Seasons of Magic release, All That Glimmers, for example. I started this book with a simple outline highlighting the main character’s need for academic validation.

And then, as I was writing between my outline points, I discovered that my main character was grieving. She had lost one of her closest friends. And she was desperate to get her back.

By allowing myself this flexibility, I provided the space to develop a deep theme and push my characters with intense motivations that ultimately led to a better story than I had imagined when I started.

And, to me, that’s the beauty of this hybrid method.

Disclaimers and Final Thoughts

Every author approaches their writing process differently, and everyone I’ve ever talked to has gone through a different writing process for every book until they find something that works for them. And that’s both okay and expected. Every person’s brain is different, and what works for one will not work for all.

That said, this is a method, found through trial and error, that works well for me! Using a hybrid, I have a road map that allows me to keep pushing toward each smaller goal, which is much less overwhelming to me than just pushing to the ending. But I also get to just have fun with the writing.

And I will tell you, I have tried both methods to the letter. I over-outlined early on…and broke the outline almost immediately because my new ideas wouldn’t fit. I’d wasted so much time creating the first outline, then making a new outline, then another new outline when I broke it again. I’ve also written a book entirely by pantsing, starting with nothing more than a character. Well, that book is still on a shelf waiting for a full rewrite. Because I figured out important points that completely changed the story as I wrote, and the beginning of it is no good anymore. And I will never pants a story with no outlining every again.

But you know what? This is the beauty of being a writer. It’s experimentation and creation. It’s trying new things and finding things you love. It’s creating the way you work so you can create beautiful worlds and stories.

So, even if this method doesn’t work for you, chin up my friends. You will find your methods. Just keep trying new things. 🙂

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What is your writing process like? Do you consider yourself a plotter, pantser, or hybrid writer? Let’s talk in the comments!

Why Writers NEED to Read

It’s probably pretty safe to say that writers are, first and foremost, lovers of story. And often that naturally means that they are also some of the biggest bibliophiles you’ll ever find!

But there’s more to it than that. Writers actually NEED to read…for a number of reasons.

Let’s take a look at why.

Honing their Craft

Of course, firstly writers need to read to improve their own writing. How else can we learn how to write well (or how to avoid writing poorly) than by reading widely? In fact, Stephen King once famously said that writers who don’t read don’t have the tools they need to write.

Yup, I brought back an old graphic…complete with the tumblog I rarely visit these days!

Yep, it’s that important. As a writer, we need to be involved in what’s going on to learn. We need to read the good and the bad, as well as books on craft and even business (yup, writing to publish also means learning how to run a business).

Learning the Market

Another huge reason why writers need to read, particularly in their own genre of choice, is to learn what’s being published and what is successful. What do readers want to read? What do publishers want to buy?

Whether you plan to indie publish or go the traditional route, it is important for you to know what sells so that you can sell your work (remember how I said writing is also business?). Agents and publishers want to know you’re familiar with the market. They want to know that you know what’s out there.

And if you’re indie pubbing, that’s how you get to sell your work: by knowing what the readers want! It also helps you learn what tropes are common (and sometimes expected) in your genre.

Expanding Our Creativity

It’s definitely worth your time to read wide. Find things that interest you, whether it’s scifi, nonfiction, romance, or whatever! By reading widely outside of your genre, you open yourself to new possibilities to include in your own stories. If you only ever read one genre, you’ll miss out on so much more you could be using. Reading, and reading a variety of things, helps us to fill our creative wells and come up with new ideas.

For the Love of Story

Most of all, writers need to read just because we are, as I mentioned earlier, lovers of story. We read for enjoyment. We read to cope with the world. We read to have a moment of escape or a bit of adventure.

Don’t forget to read for fun. 🙂

Write the Thing!

How do we actually find the time to write the thing when so many other things need our attention???

So, this year was a big year for me. I published my first book as an indie author! It was a step I’d wanted to take since 2012, but the journey twisted and turned before leading me back here, 7 years later.

But now that I’m published, I have so many ideas…and so much work to do as a published author. I have to write new things. I have to promote old and new things. And since my eventual (hopefully within the next year) goal is to find representation from a literary agent for some of my other work, I also have to polish and query other entire novels.

It doesn’t leave as much time for writing.

I know people tell us as writers over and over that audience and platform are important. And they are incredibly important. But it is even more important to write the things so your audience/platform has the thing to read! Without a product, what do you have to give them? More about the same stuff you’ve already shared? Sure, there will be new readers. There will also be readers waiting for your next release.

But while the expectations and work has increased, my amount of time has not. I still have my day job, I still have my personal responsibilities, and I still have my relationships, all of which are important to my life.

So how do I balance the time I have? How do I get writing done…while still doing the business-y things I have to do? And all of that on top of a full-time job in an unrelated field, a family, and friends?

Here’s how I do it (though keep in mind that I’m still figuring things out…I’ve got plenty to learn!):

  1. Prioritize some kind of writing as often as possible. For me, I used to try to write every day. But that doesn’t work when I’m mostly editing, so I have to approach it more from amount of time than word count. I don’t make myself write every day (I can’t), but I do try to make sure I’m working on creating new material or polishing upcoming material more than half the days of the week and catch up when I have larger chunks of time available. For now, that works.
  2. Set realistic goals. It helps to concretely set a goal. While I’m drafting, I want to draft 1000 new words per day. When I’m editing, I try to get in a chapter of editing (or more) every time I sit down. By giving myself clear goals on what I expect, and making sure those goals are achievable, I’m setting myself up to make progress on my projects and bolster my enthusiasm and self esteem.
  3. Make sacrifices. Yes, unfortunately you can’t do it all! I may have to give up time to play games or relax in front of the TV in order to reach a goal or deadline. I may have to say no to more things (such as client work or anthologies I’d like to be involved in). You need to make sacrifices so you have time for the things that are most important to you (for me, my relationships are top, then my writing).
  4. Set aside recharge time. You can’t write with an empty well. It’s that simple. So if things are burning you out, make sure you take the time you need to refill those wells. Recently, I felt burned out from all the mental work I’d been doing for writing and editing since January. I didn’t do anything like that for a week. Instead, I did some other creative work, like watercolors and mapmaking, that were more helpful to recharge me than doing nothing at all. They used a different part of my brain that was refreshing and relaxing (and I may have also made something that relates to my WIP, Sea of Broken Glass). Find the things that will refresh you and give you back enthusiasm.
  5. Schedule your marketing/social media/etc. Once again, you can’t do it all. And these little details of living the author life (being active online or working on the business side) can be draining and can suck away your time before you know it. So, I find that for me, it’s best if I set my plans for how I will approach my social media. Instead of sitting around all day on Twitter or Facebook, I intentionally set how much time I will spend and how much I will post. I post on Facebook once or twice per day (Monday through Friday only). I post a few times on Twitter per day, but not every day. I create one new blog post every week (and sometimes more ahead of time so I can take weeks off). And I set aside specific days or times for marketing or working on the business that are separate from my actual writing time. Right now, this works for me.
  6. If you can, multitask! For me, I tend to write in front of the TV in the evenings (but if it’s during the day or I’m not home, I tend to write more without distractions at all). I know a lot of people say not to do this, but I find it easier to live my life if I am also doing things while I write. Sometimes this lets me catch up on shows while making (admittedly slower) progress. Sometimes this is when I’m spending time watching TV with my husband or sitting together in the same room. And sometimes, it’s the distraction I need to keep from freaking out about all the business stuff I am still trying to understand. I get stressed out really easily by finances and business, so having something to distract my attention a little helps me.
  7. Be willing to make changes. Finally, you need to understand that what works now may not work forever. As my life and goals and career change, I will need to adjust how I approach my personal writing goals, scheduled time, and relaxation time. I may also need to change what I’m sacrificing. Try not to be so set in your habits that you can’t alter them to better fit your life as it develops. We’re supposed to change. Our plans should, too. 🙂

So that’s what I’m currently doing so that I can write the thing! I’m still trying to get everything to work, and right now, my biggest issue is that I have so many active projects I need to actually finish some! But I’m also lucky in that everything I’m currently working on I am absolutely 100% in love with.

And that’s a good feeling.

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Are you juggling many things on top of your writing? How do you make it work? What things do you struggle with the most? Tell me your tips, and let’s talk about it in the comments!

My 5 Favorite Books on Writing (and some honorable mentions)

Need some new books on writing? Check these out!

So this is going to be another one of those posts: a post where I discuss my favorite tools of the craft! And I think this is a fun one. You see, I keep a running list of non-fiction books that have helped me in my journey to become a better writer, and from time to time I like to update and share that list to help other writers. It’s been several years since my last update, and I’ve read some really good ones.

So here we go. My favorite books on writing.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King

This was one of the first writing craft books I ever read, and honestly, I feel like every writer should read it. Maybe multiple times (speaking of which, I may be due for a re-read!). It’s considered one of the classic books on how to write, and for good reason. It’s packed with advice on writing (of course) as well as the life of a writer and life in general. And it’s also full of Stephen King’s voice and wit, which makes it an entertaining, as well as informative, read.

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott

This is another classic book on writing and another I think all writers should read. Anne’s voice is familiar and friendly and full of tough love all at once, and she really has so many quotable bits on inspiration throughout the book. It was a joy to read this. 🙂

Wired for Story, by Lisa Cron

Back when I was more active on Tumblr (in fact, this came up the last time I updated this list), a follower recommended this one to me. I was in grad school for neuroscience, also trying to write and query my first novel (which is now published), and this book hit all my check boxes for things I loved.

Friends. This book. If you want to know how to write a captivating story – and the biology that makes it so captivating – this is the book for you! It’s full of tips and tricks to engage readers, and there is so much to learn about why certain things work in stories. It’s a fantastic, fascinating, and fun read!

Unlocking the Heart of the Artist, by Matt Tommey

I actually read this one as part of a Christian artist Bible study group (yes, it is a Christian book on creativity).

It blew me away.

It was exactly what I needed at that point in my life, discussing the rich inner life of the artist, discussing the misnomer of “Christian art” (hint: art cannot be Christian, but the artist can. Christian is a description that fits a person and doesn’t need to be applied to objects. You can disagree if you like, but this is my viewpoint.), and discussing all the ways we can set up roadblocks for our creative selves.

This book will challenge you, break your heart, and uplift you all at once…clearing the way for you to become your best artist (writer) self. Highly recommend!

The Business of Being a Writer, by Jane Friedman

So this one I’m actually STILL reading, but it already rates high on my list! This book should be in every writer’s arsenal. It’s the most comprehensive look at the history, current market, and practice of being a career writer (or having any kind of writing career, even if it’s on the side) that I’ve seen yet. It looks at everything from traditional to indie publishing, small press, literary fiction, how to query…and so much more. Definitely a must-read.

Honorable Mentions

This section is all my also-loved books that I highly recommend. These are great to read and keep on your shelf, either as references or bits of inspiration for your writer self.

Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, by Madeleine L’Engle

Much like Matt Tommey’s book above, Madeleine L’Engle’s book speaks to the Christian artist, also reflecting on her own journey as a writer. She has some powerful words to share, and it so interesting to see some of her ideas behind some of her most famous works!

Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity, by Ray Bradbury

This book is a collection of essays that offer both encouragement and some tough love to get serious about your work. There is so much here, and every time you read it, I’m sure you will find something new to pull out and inspire yourself.

On My Own: How to Format Your Ebook and Print Layout in Microsoft Word, by Savannah Jezowski

This one is an excellent resource for indie authors ready to format their manuscripts. It is a step-by-step guide, written in Savannah Jezowski’s familiar and friendly voice, that will walk you through everything you need to get that manuscript uploaded to retailers. An incredibly useful tool to save some money!

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

This is another excellent tool to have at your disposal. It’s an in-depth guide to emotions and how to describe them in your stories, giving you tools to make your characters relateable and realistic, especially if you’re writing about some emotion outside your own experience. I unfortunately got this one right before they updated the edition, but this book is packed full of information on emotions.

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That completes this edition of Selina’s Favorite Writing Books. Do you have any to add? I’m always looking for new ones! (Wonderbook is currently on my radar) Share your favorites in the comments below!

The Luck o’ the Writer

Yeah, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna make a St. Patrick’s Day-inspired post.

Around this time of year, I tend to watch Leap Year at least once. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a charming, hilarious movie set in Ireland. The main character Anna, played by the fabulous Amy Adams, is tired of waiting around for her cardiologist boyfriend to propose to her, so she calls upon an ancient Irish tradition that may or may not actually exist: if she proposes to him on Leap Day, he must accept. Well, shenanigans ensue, and without any spoilers, things don’t exactly go as expected. There’s a lot of Anna trying to control her life and her relationship and a lot of the world telling her she can’t.

But that movie, and the only holiday in March, got me thinking. As writers, there are so many things out of our control. So many things based in luck (ah, there’s the rest of the St. Patrick’s Day cliche).

We can control our writing. Our editing. Our interactions with readers and potential readers.

But we can’t control when an agent will read our query. How the market will be when our book is ready. What mood a person is in when they read your book.

All of these things influence the success of our work. It can mean the difference between a shining review and a mediocre review. It can mean the difference between finding an agent or not. It can mean the difference between selling a book or not.

And for a lot of people, especially when they start (though it never gets much easier, from what I can tell, particularly if you’re traditionally published), it’s hard not to be able to control how well your book does. Sure, there are things we can try, there is marketing we can do, and we can independently publish. But we can do all the things right and still not see the success we want to.

Today I just want to remind you that even if your book never sells a single copy, even if you never get an agent, that doesn’t mean your book isn’t valuable and isn’t good. Sometimes the luck isn’t on our side. The wrong agent reads it, or another, bigger book releases on the same day as yours.

Don’t let that stop you. Keep working hard, keep learning, keep doing everything you can, but don’t beat yourself up if things don’t work out right away. Do what’s best for you and your book, and don’t take it personally if it fails. Learn from it. Grow with it. In an industry where we only have so much control, take control of what you can. Give yourself every chance for success.

And whatever else you do, make sure you keep writing.

Interacting with Authors 101

Ever wonder how (and when) to contact an author? Wonder no more.

Okay, so this week I had a lot of feelings. Maybe it was because I turned 30 (that milestone of birthdays). Maybe it was the stress at work (hello, mountains and hours of data analysis!). Maybe it was things I read online (isn’t that everyone?).

One of those things I read online was an article articulating all the things I have been observing online for years, but to an extreme degree. You see, a writer friend sent me this article by Jesse Singal. You should definitely give it a read. And as a result, this blog post happened. There is so much fear in the YA writing community that people can’t express any kind of dialogue regarding diversity or the witch-hunting mentality at work for fear of losing their fans or careers. If they do, swarms of angry internet users descend on them.

Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t call out problematic things when we see them (and I’ll come back to that in a bit). But I am saying that this bullying behavior is dangerous and toxic. It is a suppression of ideas when books should be making us think, making us question things. It is censoring the spread of ideas and information and killing the opportunity for open discussion and growth. And it doesn’t solve the problem; it only serves to foster hurt feelings and bitterness.

Is that really healthy? No.

But how do we interact with authors in productive, healthy ways?

First, let’s start with things to remember about authors:

  1. Authors are people, too. They have just as many feelings as everyone else. They really exist, and the things people say about them and their work really do affect them.
  2. Most of the time, they’re doing their best. Yes, sometimes they don’t succeed. But that is an opportunity for growth, just like every other mistake or less-than-perfect attempt out there. They grow and learn with every book they write. If they’re given the chance.
  3. Authors are not the books they write. Their characters do not necessarily represent their personal views of the world, and their stories may not have the meaning you think they do (though half a book is the reader’s experience, so that does matter, and hopefully the author has taken that into consideration during edits).
  4. Authors, and their books, are not perfect. They do everything they can to make it shine and polish it up, but there is always going to be something that someone will hate or disagree with. And that’s okay. We seem to be stuck in a climate where disagreement is obscene, and it is leading to an atmosphere that stifles creative and personal growth as well as diversity.

Now, there are a few different situations in which a reader may want to interact with an author. Let’s start with the simplest scenario.

You read a book. You fall in love with it. And you just can’t keep it to yourself.

Should you contact the author? YES!

It is incredibly encouraging to authors to hear positive feedback on their writing! This is a good time to let an author know you’ve enjoyed it, and it will put a smile on their face, guaranteed. Spread the positivity!

You read a book. You hate everything about it. You didn’t click with it, the story was derivative, and you frankly could have written something better yourself.

Should you contact the author? NO!

Why? Because they are people. Sure, leave your review as you see fit (as long as it’s about the book and not the author… don’t make it personal), but don’t tag an author or otherwise direct their attention to this negative review. They don’t need to see it. It doesn’t encourage them, it can hinder their creativity, and it can do a whole lot more harm than good.

And finally, the idea that brought me to this post in the first place…

You read a book. It has problematic elements that are pretty insensitive and offensive.

Should you contact the author? MAYBE.

Let me explain.

If you feel you can discuss the matter with a calm, level head and have an open discussion, then by all means, contact the author. But if you can’t, leave it to someone else. Write your review, do NOT tag the author, and move on.

And if you do contact the author, here are some tips:

  1. Contact them privately. Do not make a public post to shame or call them out. Oftentimes, the problem you see may be unintentional, and the author is more than happy to hear the feedback and fix the problem, or to correct it in their future writing if the book has already been published and can no longer be changed.
  2. Remember you could be wrong… and accept it if you are. I have seen people shaming and tearing apart books and their authors when they think it has crossed lines of culture and history when in reality it had nothing to do with the problems these hunters are shouting about.
  3. Be kind and tactful. Instead of yelling at the author or shaming them, which can automatically put a person on the defensive and make them less receptive to what you have to say, use phrases like, “I liked your story, but I think [this particular element] may be offensive to some people. Would you be willing to talk about it?” Be honest, but don’t let that make you rude or hurtful.
  4. Offer to be a beta reader or sensitivity reader. Obviously, if you are not in the demographic for which the problematic element is problematic, do not offer to sensitivity read. But you can still suggest that sensitivity readers will strengthen the book. Either way, continue to remember to be kind.
  5. Don’t make it personal. This is about the story, not the person. An author is not their book.

But what if the author is not receptive to your feedback? What if they’re downright mean or argumentative?

  1. Do not engage. Thank them for their time, then stop responding. Some authors just will not be open to a discussion, and it’s better to walk away than to try to argue with a fool.
  2. Leave your review of the book. Don’t make it personal, just like I mentioned already. Keep it focused on the book. Call out the problematic elements or what you didn’t like. But keep it professional.
  3. Don’t start a mob. There is so much mob mentality on so many of these topics online, particularly Twitter and Tumblr. It’s so easy to get caught up in it, but it’s not productive and only hurts more feelings. Again, keep it professional. Even if the author looks like a fool, make sure people can’t mistake you for one, as well.

If you remember nothing else…

…just remember that authors are people with feelings and failings, just like you and everyone else. Treat them that way, the way you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes. And keep in mind…

Someone else’s behavior never gives you permission to be cruel.

Now, I want to hear from you. Are you an author? A reader? What are your thoughts? Tell me below, and let’s talk about talking.

Until then, happy writing and happy reading!

Drowning in Books

Drowning in books? I am. But I’m happy about it. Are you?

Did you know that the TBR is never-ending?

There was once a time when I thought my TBR pile (TBR: “to be read”) would possibly be completed, but I have since come to realize the plight of almost every reader everywhere: TBR piles never shrink. They only grow.

We live in an age where people (like me, next spring!) can publish without the help of an agent or a publishing house, leading to a large number of books being released that may not have ever been available to the public even ten years ago. Indie publishing is a huge market, and this means that there is an overabundance of books I want to read.

So now I have over 400 books on my ereader, of which I’ve read less than 50.

And then there’s the physical books, the ones I usually buy to keep up with the publishing industry, since I plan on querying also (side note: having both independently and traditionally published books makes someone a hybrid author… and that’s my end goal). It’s vitally important to a writer/author to keep up with the current market by reading new releases. Otherwise you can get left behind.

So my TBR shelf at home, a literal shelf in my library, is sagging under the weight of so many books, bought with the best of intentions and left until I get around to them.

And my digital TBR list on Goodreads is well over 700 books now.

And for a long time, this seemed really daunting. It made me sad to think of all the books I would never get to read.

But recently, I heard it put another way, which is in line with the thoughts I am starting to have about my TBR: don’t be afraid to keep adding to your list. Yes, maybe it seems overwhelming, but if you limit yourself because of what you haven’t read, you may miss out on your new favorite book. And every book you buy, even if it’s a free copy through Amazon or a giveaway, supports the author and encourages them to write more. (Check out K.M. Robinson on Facebook to see this post… she’s a great author to follow, too! And she discusses how the TBR affects authors in particular.)

And then there’s one other point I’d like to make. Having a lot of unread books isn’t a bad thing because we all go through seasons in our lives where we need something different. Personally, I cycle through genres depending on how I’m feeling or what I’m feeling like reading that week. Or month, as is usually the case with my physical books anymore. So having these books in your own personal library, whether physical or digital, gives you the opportunity to read the thing you want to read right now. You don’t have to worry about not having a fantasy when you want fantasy or a contemporary when you need fluffy. You just have to go get it off your shelf. And reading becomes a much more enjoyable experience and escape as a result.

So yes. I’m drowning in books. But you know what? I’m happy about it.

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What about you? Do you feel overwhelmed or overjoyed about your TBR? Does anything I’ve said above make you think a little differently? Let’s talk in the comments!

Reminder time!

1. I’m releasing a book soon! You can subscribe to the newsletter to hear all the most up to date information. Hint: I’m working on a special newsletter bonus right now, and subscribers will be the first to get their hands on it!

2. I opened a business! If you’re a writer in need of editing, consulting, or maps for your book, come talk to me! You can find out more on the Services and Testimonials pages. 🙂

My Four Favorite Writing Tools

As writers write more, they eventually start to settle into patterns. This may include how they research, how (or if) they outline, what kind of background work they do before starting, and what order they write in. But one other thing that writers tend to develop as they go is their arsenal of writing tools. Note: I do not mean resources, like websites; that will be a different post.

Today, I wanted to share some of my favorite tools of the trade. These are things I use specifically for each of my projects (some more than others), and do not include reference materials.

Let’s dive right in!

  1. Writeometer: This is an app I keep on my phone that lets you record all your word counts. It’s been incredibly helpful to me during slumps to keep me going, adding motivation and a reward-based system for hitting your goals. Another part that’s super helpful is the ability to track how long it will take to finish a project… and compare it to a deadline, either self-imposed or given to you. Highly recommend!

    Image result for writeometer
    The nifty little logo for Writeometer.
  2. Google Docs: So, it used to be that I used Word for all my writing. Then I tried Scrivener, but I couldn’t quite get the hang of it. Now that I travel back and forth between computers all the time, I’ve found that Google Docs is my favorite place for drafting new stories. They’re easy to share with critique partners and betas, and it has all the functionality I really need. Once I’m ready to put the submission manuscript together, I’ll migrate it to Word, but until then, Docs is perfect.
  3. Pen and Paper: Yup, this one is easy. More specifically, notebooks! I tend to do a lot of research for my stories, and so I need an organized place to take my notes. For every project (as I’ve mentioned before), I pick up a new notebook, one that I love, that I would want to carry around, and that inspires me. Pro tip: I picked this idea up from Alexandra Bracken’s newsletter… if you don’t get that, she’s amazing and shares her own writing tips and progress there. She’s also super nice and down-to-earth. You should sign up!
  4. Pinterest: Finally, one of my first go-tos is a new, fresh, clean Pinterest board for all my projects. I love creating a place with visual inspiration for what I’m working on; it definitely gives me an aesthetic and a mood (like an actual mood board, but digital) for when I need a boost to jump into the world. It’s also a pretty great place to save information and ideas I find online. I’ll share some of my personal boards with you, so you can get an idea of the kinds of things I save.

Pinterest boards for stories:

Pinterest boards for things I might write one day:

Finally, Pinterest boards with writing resources:

  • Things for Writers, or resources the help writers with blogging, general writing, useful websites, etc.
  • Writing Reference, or guides that might come in handy for creating worlds and stories

5. Coffee: …just kidding. But I do love coffee!

So there you have it: my four favorite writing tools. One of these days, I’ll finish compiling my list of favorite writing resources and share it with you. But until then, enjoy these boards and ideas. And share your favorite writing tools with me in the comments!

Why I Love the Author Community

Life is full of competition and people who only look out for themselves. It’s dog-eat-dog, every man for himself… or so it seems. There’s competition for jobs, for acceptance into a program, for tickets to events, even for something as small as that last bottle of your favorite drink at the store.

But you know one place that doesn’t feel this way? The writing community.

I don’t know if any of you have experienced this, but other than the occasional bad egg (looking at you, arrogant person on Twitter obsessed with telling people how stupid they are), I have never felt more supported and encouraged than when I talk to other writers online. I’m not exactly sure why this is, but I have theories.

Writers, especially those going into traditional publishing (even self publishing), know how hard this life is. They understand the rejection that lurks around every corner. They know how difficult it is to “make it.” And they know the trials they went through and are still going through and will be coming back tomorrow.

And you know what? I think that makes them some of the most empathetic people I’ve ever met. Well, that and jumping into a new person’s head every day they write.

You see, there’s enough hard stuff in this industry, and writers remember how it was starting out, how intimidating and big and scary the industry seemed (and still is, to many). They know what it feels like to feel insufficient, like you’re not good enough, like your work isn’t good enough, and not even knowing the first step to take to tackle a mountain-sized project.

And they don’t just stop with the empathy.

They help.

Like, actually help. Got questions on minor details of a formatting issue? Post it in a writer’s group or on Twitter, and someone will come to your rescue. Feeling the burn of a rejection? You can find sympathy, empathy, and encouragement from any one of these people! Confused how to start editing your book? There are so many editors out there who hang out in forums and hashtags and just answer people’s questions.

And what’s more, these people very rarely say anything negative to you. They build you up. They encourage you. When you query, they cheer you on. When you get an agent or a publishing deal, they dance and celebrate with you. And that is such a rare thing in a professional world, to have your peers celebrate your successes with you.

Sure, there are things I encounter in certain groups or threads that burn me up or hurt my feelings, but the frequency of this kind of encounter is so much lower than all the positivity I have found to radiate from the writing community. It truly is like nothing I’ve encountered before, and I am in love with it.

In a career filled with negative things, let’s keep this positivity going.

~~~

What about you? Do you participate in any writing or author communities? What have your experiences been like? Do you agree with me? Why or why not? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

What I Did at Bookcon 2018

Happy Friday, everyone!

So this month I had the chance to go to Bookcon in NYC. Frankly, this is a con I wanted to attend for the past five years, but I never had anyone to go with and I’m kind of terrified of the city and public transportation (you know, things I didn’t grow up with, since I spent my childhood in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania). But this year was different. I finally have an author friend, Ann Dayleview, to do these events with, and she is so much braver (and more city-saavy!) than I am!

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Ann and I taking selfies surrounded by books. Heaven!

She is a wonderful, wonderful person who just got her agent (!), and you should definitely check her out on her website, Ann’s View (don’t mind the wonky look right now… she is in the process of updating). She has so many helpful tools there!

But I digress.

So Ann arrived at my house late Friday night, we looked up the train schedule, and then we woke up super early (all the sleepies) to make it to the train station in Jersey early. And then drove to the next one farther north, since parking was a mess in Trenton.

And so the adventure began. And I really should have taken more pictures.

So we caught the train and made it to a few blocks away from the Javitts Center. And we started to see the people. Our people! Book people! They were everywhere! It was glorious and exciting. What an adventure! We stopped on our way for delicious, delicious toasted bagels and coffee (hint: if you go to NYC, avoid the touristy places… the small corner stores are where it’s AT!), and then checked in at the Con to get our badges and enjoy everything they had to offer.

And wow, was there a lot!

We spent tons of time meeting people, like Morgan Matson, Jenny Han, and Siobhan Vivian (who had a photo opp and ice cream on the main show floor… they were so happy and so pleasant!):

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Oh. My. Word.

We went to a ton of panels, such as this one with Holly Black, Neal Shusterman, and Charlaine Harris, dealing with dangerous characters and dangerous themes in fantasy:

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Oh the power names. Also Charlaine Harris is such a sweetheart. And now I really want to read Neal’s book Dry.

And we got a special sneak peak of the new The Darkest Minds movie in a panel with Alex Bracken herself (who I got to meet later on the show floor) and Amandla Stenberg:

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Be still my heart.

And so. Much. Swag. Seriously, I went home with a bunch of books, samplers, book-themed items like jewelry and totes, and all the pins. Most of that was free!

We spent two days going to the panels, playing games, meeting people, and exploring the booths on the show floor. And let me tell you: it was one of the best cons of my life. I’m so glad I faced my fear (I almost declined the invitation because of the city and number of people) and went to this event. I have finally kicked Bookcon off my bucket list, and I’m sure I’ll be back.

Did any of you go to Bookcon this year? Tell me your favorite part! For those of you who couldn’t attend, do you think you ever will? Do you even want to? Talk to me in the comments!