I love watching soccer, all kinds of soccer at all levels. Our whole family does! We go to local games for our rec teams, cup teams, our local USL team the Riverhounds, even MLS teams like Columbus Crew. And we took a family trip to see EPL teams Liverpool, Leeds, Man U and Everton. And… Read more »
Big Ideas
Some Free Critique Advice
I’m in several critique groups and I try to really provide useful, actionable feedback for my partners. I thought you might like to read some useful, actionable feedback that YOU can use on your story. Yes, these comments are for other writers writing other books, but if you think about them in general terms you… Read more »
Should I hire a professional editor for my book?
You’ve written the final draft of your book, and you’re so proud. You want to submit it to that dream agent RIGHT NOW! You’ve revised it, used the “find” tool to go through the whole manuscript and delete unnecessary words, you’ve worked on showing, not telling, and you’ve even come up with a great pitch…. Read more »
Critique Group Feedback on Creating Characters and Connecting with Readers
Getting into costume is a great way to get into character. Writers need to get into their character’s head every time they write a story. But they also need to get into their reader’s head and figure out how their reader will connect with their main character. It’s not easy to hold all of… Read more »
Super helpful suggestions from my critique partners!
I am so grateful for the super helpful suggestions I get from my critique partners. It can be so hard to find a great critique group. At a creativity meeting back in March, a friend said to me that they tried out a new group and felt a little frustrated that people were too nice… Read more »
My Life as a Writer, or a Writer’s World of Work
This little sketch of the Earth with tiny satellites orbiting it is a model of my life as a writer. Well, it’s the model my husband suggested to me. We were at breakfast and I was telling him about the projects I had sent to my agent, the one I was working on now,… Read more »
Organizing Your Thoughts As a Writer
I had a great time presenting at the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek in February. I spoke to an audience of both teens and parents, and I think it was a really interesting mix of perspectives. The teens had a lot of questions about writing and animals, and the adults even had some questions… Read more »
What Your First Bird of 2023 Means for Your Year
The start of a new year is fun for birders like me – it means I can count and celebrate seeing birds for the first time that year!! Lots of birders love to celebrate their first bird of the year, and every year the American Birding Association picks a bird of the year. (The Bird… Read more »
What is No Mow May?
What is No Mow May? It’s simple – don’t mow your lawn in May and give bees and pollinators a chance to find food. Grassy lawns are some of the worst things about habitat loss. So by not mowing we can give the non-grass plants a chance to bloom and nourish insects and birds. I… Read more »
Tech Tricks for Writers: Looking for Comps
Here’s a tech trick for writers who are looking for comps. When you are querying a book with an agent or editor, it’s important to have good comps for your manuscript. What is a comp? It’s a book, movie, or story that is a good comparison for your story. It’s telling an agent or editor,… Read more »