I Have Been Writing for Half of my Life. Here’s What I Learned.
By the time you are reading this blog, I will officially be 30 years old. A lot has happened in the first three decades of my life. Some things haven’t happened as quickly as I wanted to. Others happened before I was ready. But’s that’s another blog for another time. Let’s just say me and […]
When Your Writing Becomes a Side Hustle
When did you know that your writing had become more than just a hobby? For me, it was when my mother said these words: “I think you should focus on making money with your writing.” It was after I had pitched her my idea of an AI-generated graphic novel about a recent seminary graduate in […]
When You Know It’s Time to Let Go
This past July I took a trip with my husband, our two daughters, and my mother to visit family in New Mexico. The drive was long (about 16 hours, including getting a nail out of our tire), but it was worth it to see relatives (on my mother’s side) who we haven’t seen in a […]
Listening to Music While Writing
I have a Spotify playlist called “In Case of Emergency, Hit Play.” These aren’t Christian songs for when my heart is in anguish. That’s a different playlist. No, this kind of emergency is strictly a writer’s problem. Whether it is writer’s block, or just a tight deadline I have to meet, this playlist has never […]
Facing Rejection
If you’re reading this, chances are, you’ve encountered rejection. When I first started writing, everything was unicorns and rainbows. I wrote my first children’s story and took it to a conference; certain I’d bring home good news. Well… The editor said my story was syrupy sweet and not publishable. Was she right? Absolutely. Did I […]
What is so Exciting About the Inciting Incident?
I’ve got about a dozen unfinished stories. When I look back to see why I gave up on the story (sometimes mid-sentence), I discovered most of them died out around chapter three. I was shocked. What was so hard about chapter three? Why would I give up so easily? As I read through the first […]
When You’re Caught by Surprise
A few months ago, I was asked by a church staff member if I would be willing to participate in an afternoon get-together sometime in the summer where I could share about being a writer. The person who asked me coordinates our church’s homeschool support group, so I thought it would be for a small, […]
Moving Forward Boldly
Last time I wrote about writing a plot summary within a short period of time for a potential fiction story opportunity. The good news is, the publisher accepted my pitch! The bad news is, the publisher accepted my pitch! Of course, this isn’t really bad news. It’s great news! But, the reality has set in […]
Looking at the Benefits of Waiting
Let’s face it. We live in a society where we spend a lot of time waiting. Whether you are at the dentist or doctor, visiting the department of motor vehicles, or getting new tires on the car, we often find ourselves sitting around waiting to be called or waiting for something to get done. Here […]
Books That Change Us
I breathed deeply as I uttered the last words of The Hello, Goodbye Window: “When you look from the outside, Nanna and Poppy’s house has lots of windows, but there’s only one Hello, Goodbye Window and it’s right where you need it.” Turning the page, I continued: “When I get my own house someday I’m […]