My Changing POV
" What's with your book?" Any author on submission understands that this simple question from concerned friends and family is like a knife to the back of your head. No, I am not being dramatic. The Sea Sheller's Daughter went out on submission and was roundly kicked back out officially in May. And while deeply disappointed, I kept my crap together. Each thoughtful rejection came with a glimmer of hope, my writing was good, the story was good.... but... something wasn't enough
Raise Your Fork If You Like Pie?
It's #PiDay2019. I know, this isn't a "real" holiday but you have to love a social media day that celebrates baked goods and math. For me, finding ways to connect science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) pings all kinds of good stuff in my creative brain. As a writer, I want to explore and discuss the natural world. Whether my characters are digging for rare earth elements or hunting for venomous marine sna
My Very Real Fictional Writing Guilt
I started a new novel. I should be bursting with energy, excitement, plots, characters, discovery. In truth, I am. My new novel, Venom, is about a marine biologist, Eve, "Shelly" Shelbourne who is collecting venomous cone snails (yes, this is a real thing) to help her father research a treatment for MS. When her twin brother commits suicide, Shelly must face the guilt of not helping him, and the blame she places on her mother for his death. In writing about a character's guil
A Fresh Story Really Makes A Difference
Depending on who you believe, or believe yourself, there are somewhere between six and nine universal stories or themes. These ideas run the gamut of love found and lost to revenge. They are the universal truths that audience and readers come back to time and again. But what makes us come back? I would argue that the most successful stories present something new. This summer, I took my girls to see an off-off-off Broadway play called H.O.M.E. This near-future story features
The Scariest YA Plot Idea Ever!
You've got two children and you have to pay for their childcare, health insurance, food, clothing, and entertainment. - This could be the opening line (OK a really boring one) to the scariest YA novel ever sold. This week I chaperoned an 8th grade field trip to the Junior Achievement Finance Park Facility. This is a program that puts middle schoolers (that hot YA audience) through a simulation where they are given an adult identity complete with family status, job, salary, de
Much Love in Philly
My recent adventure to Philadelphia to the writer's pitch conference was a surprising success. Four literary agents have asked to see my manuscript! In addition to doing a major happy dance, I also picked up some advice on trends. I'm sharing them here, in no particular oder. From the Philly Literary Agent Panel YA novels are getting longer, 60K-80K words. Some novels are transitioning into the new adult genre - the next age group up. Agents want to see something they haven't
Oopos --OOOPS -- Oops I Made a Mistake
Miss Steaks, I mean mistakes happen in writing. They happen all the time. The first lesson I learned in proofreading class - yes, I took an entire semester of proofreading - is that you are in love with your own work. That means you won't see your mistakes. You know what the words should say. You glide over them. Some mistakes are more earth shattering than others, for instance, a pubic auction notice instead of a public auction notice. The picture I've posted here to the lef
Friends Don't Let Friends Write (or Drink) Alone
Writing is lonely work. Sure you've got your characters to keep you company. But at some point, all that talking to yourself makes you question your sanity. All joking aside, the scariest step a writer can take is to send her work out into the world. What if it sucks and everyone tells you? What if you send it out and everyone likes it? What if there are problems. What if? The best advice I can give is don't write alone. Don't shut yourself away and never share your work. Fin
