Young Adult Review: Disconnected
I am excited to talk about the next book in my book review series! DISCONNECTED by Riley Cross will be available on May 10, 2023, from Monarch Educational Services, LLC. If you like sci-fi/dystopia stories, then you’re going to want to read this one! This is a genre I particularly enjoy, and this story is…
Agents vs Publishers: Where to Submit
Now that you have written your story, had it edited, and it is the best version it can be, it’s time to start submitting it for publication! Just when you thought the hard work was over, it’s really just beginning. There are many paths to publication, and not all of them are right for everyone.…
50 Precious Words 2023
***THIS ENTRY WON 7TH PLACE*** I love writing contests! They are a great way to stretch your creative muscles, and often my entries turn into longer stories, or sometimes even stories suited for magazines. The 50 precious words contest was started in 2016 and the entries get better every year. It’s amazing that anyone can…
First Line: Maggie and the Mountain of Light
As part of my blog series, I want to dive a little deeper into the first lines of novels. For this week, I have chosen “Maggie and the Mountain of Light” by Mark Snoad. (I reviewed this book last week on the blog. Click here if you missed it!) First lines are so important. A…
Middle Grade Review: Maggie and the Mountain of Light
As part of my weekly blog posts, I thought it would be fun to do some middle grade (MG) and young adult (YA) reviews. Check back the first Saturday of every month to read a new review. This month, I selected MAGGIE AND THE MOUNTAIN OF LIGHT by Mark Snoad. Mark is a fellow Monarch…
What is Middle Grade?
You’re probably aware by now that my upcoming book is a middle grade novel. So, what exactly does that mean? Middle Grade refers to books for middle school aged children (roughly ages 8-12). But there are a few more defining characteristics of middle grade. Those are the “official” requirements for a middle grade novel, but…
Plotter vs. Pantser
Which one are you? A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about diving into the world of novel writing. I hope you were able to find at least one thing there to help you write your novel. Today, I wanted to talk about plotters vs pantsers! Drop me a comment below and let me…
Kids’ Choice Contest 2023
A big shout-out to Kailei Pew for hosting the Kids’ Choice Contest again this year. This contest is a lot of fun because the judges are KIDS! Last year, my YA entry ONE WAY TICKET received an Honorable Mention. You can read it HERE. This year, I resurrected a middle grade story I originally wrote…
A Novel Idea – Update
For this week’s blog post, I would like to talk about plotting your novel. There are several different ways….. Wait… what? Oh, that’s right. I rescheduled the plotting post because I am THRILLED to announce that I have signed a contract for my middle grade novel THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW to be published by…
A Novel Idea
I’ve recently embarked on a new journey into the world of novel writing! Every November, there is an event called NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write 50,000 words in the month of November, and even though that sounds impossible, this is actually a wildly popular event. In 2021, I decided to try writing a middle…
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“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
Robert Frost