The month before a book release feels a lot like the final month of a pregnancy. Obviously not the physical aspects like swollen ankles and freakish ballooning belly, although there are the occasional moments of shortness of breath, triggered by the … [Continue reading]
On Dreams
Posted on April 11, 2014 ·
I received an email the other day from my managing editor, saying the final edit of The Fourth Wall was attached and could I fill in the dedication page and the acknowledgments page? Sure, I could do that. (Are you kidding me?!) But first I … [Continue reading]
Line Edits, Book Covers, and What Really Scares Me
Posted on February 7, 2014 ·
In late November I submitted the first round of content edits back to my editor. It was a grueling month in which I added nearly 8,000 words to a manuscript I had once considered complete. Boy, was I mistaken. Gory details here. Two months passed. … [Continue reading]
In Good Company
Posted on December 6, 2013 ·
I didn’t set out to write a YA novel. I just wanted to write a book. Afterwards at a conference, when asked to identify the book’s genre, I proudly declared it “literary fiction.” The panelist groaned. “Oh, don’t call it that,” he said. “When you … [Continue reading]
This is Your Brain After Developmental Edits
Posted on November 23, 2013 ·
Remember that commercial from the 80s where some guy holds up an egg (“This is your brain.”) and then cracks it into a sizzling frying pan (“This is your brain on drugs.”)? That’s a writer’s brain after a round of developmental edits. I sent … [Continue reading]
Back to Basics
Posted on November 8, 2013 ·
Last week was scary. Not because a 6-foot tall Grim Reaper jumped from the shadows of my neighbor's porch and hissed at my children (that was actually pretty great), but because I experienced a serious case of writer's block. And I'm under … [Continue reading]
Bring It On
Posted on October 25, 2013 ·
Most writers work best when pushed to the wall. The deadline is definitely our friend. Which is good, because this week I got the email I’ve been waiting for: my editor has started reading (the novel formerly know as) The Fourth Wall. This will be … [Continue reading]
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