How She Writes

If you've been around here for any length of time, you know that I have a true obsession with writer jokes. The more relatable, the better. So, when I began to see 'you know you're a writer when' jokes, I couldn't help myself. Thus, this list of thoughts and situations that nearly every writer seems to find themselves in. You know you're a writer when: y ou get a little overly excited about characters . I mean come on, you love your characters, what's not to be excited about? You know you're a writer when: you're both excited and disappointed by the concept of being your own boss. On the one hand, you have full control over your schedule. On the other hand, you have to be the one to design and enforce your schedule. You know you're a writer when: y ou sometimes feel that your secondary characters are being wasted. So much character depth, so little space in the plot. You know you're a writer when: y ou're afraid that people...

Note: This post contains affiliate links. That means I will get a commission on purchases made through some of the links in this post at no extra cost to you. I won't recommend anything I wouldn't buy myself.   Today, I'm reviewing a book I found and enjoyed immensely about a year ago. At first, it was the book cover that drew me in, (because come on, that thing is gorgeous.) Then I read the book, and I loved it even more.  Let's start with the details.  Title:   The Girl Who Could See Author: Kara Swanson Length:   This is a novella, so perfect for those of you with busy lifestyles Genre:   Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult Pricing: e-book:  2.99 or free with  Kindle Unlimited Paperback:  8.99 Audiobook:  free with  Audible Description: Fern Johnson sees another world and the warrior that lives within it. Proclaimed crazy by doctors, Fern is determined to suppress her vision and be normal. But, no m...

As a side effect of being a writer, I have acquired some strange quirks in the past year or so. Some of them just come with the job, others are my own peculiarities that come out through writing. I talk to myself While I'm immersed in a project, or trying to work out a problem with a story, I can be found muttering to myself. I'm not crazy...probably. I just have a tendency to think out loud, and it usually happens when I'm writing. I have a weird search history This is definitely a side effect of being a fiction writer. (There are some crazy things writers need to know.) Search history is a running joke in the writer community, and a quick search will bring up plenty of jokes about it. While most of mine aren't too crazy, I do have a few gems, like: What are the best ways to knock someone out? (this one also includes, what are the side effects of chloroform.) Would someone die of a stab wound to the side? What are the symptoms of a bruised rib? Wh...

If there is anything I've learned about writing recently, it's that if there is something stopping you from enjoying writing, you need to deal with it. I had something like that not too long ago. As I mentioned in a recent post , I hit a writing slump, and it resulted in me not wanting to write. What I didn't realize was that as the problem continued, I was the cause. I set up a schedule and tried to organize myself into staying productive. I couldn't do it I tried so hard to stick to that schedule. I failed to meet goal after goal. As I continued to fail, I added more goals. I became more and more determined to succeed until I couldn't do it anymore. I felt trapped in problems I had created and realized that more work wasn't going to cut it this time. So I let go I  closed my spreadsheets, turned off my alarms, and set my schedule aside. I didn't stop writing entirely, but I did allow myself to write what I wanted to because I enjoyed it, not ...

For those of you that didn't already know, I am currently in the revision stages of my first novel. In other words, I'm writing the last pieces of my second draft, and I'm getting ready to edit it into something enjoyable for you. But before I do, I wanted to give you a quick glimpse behind the scenes into what I'm working on. The Ambassador Note: this is a temporary cover and title, and it may change before it gets published. Synopsis Rita Hart is was born between two countries. As the honorary Ambassador between them, it is up to her to uphold a treaty of peace, and smooth over the scars of a war buried deep in their history. But, as a plot to resume the age-old war surfaces, peace is threatened, leaving Rita to protect it. When a stinging betrayal leaves her reeling, and everything comes crashing down, she must decide how much she is willing to risk to save the countries she loves. If she succeeds, she gains everything she's ever wanted. If she fa...

As promised, here is the short story I have been working on. It has dragons, danger, and a hero who never wanted to save the day. This is one of my shorter stories. If you like fiction, but not the time commitment, this is for you. *** It was said that the people of Cavlan Valley were survivors. They survived a disease that stole many of their own, and they survived the oppressive presence of the dragons that dwelled in their mountains. And that is why, as Nate walked down the market's narrow street, he kept a firm grip on his two thirteen-year-old brothers. Elliot squirmed. “You don't have to hold onto us you know. We won't run off ” Nate didn't remove his grip.  “I'm not worried about that, I'm protecting you. ” “ We don't need protecting. ” Isaac piped up. “It's not like we're in any danger from- ” “Dragons! Dragon attack!” As the cry went up, Nate pushed down his rising terror and pulled his brothers towards the mill, the o...