In Reading At this point, I’ve read a total of 117 books this year, and I’m in the middle of a few others. I still can’t believe how many books I read. I know, quality over quantity, but I’ve honestly enjoyed the vast majority of books I’ve read this year. I lucked out and got … More A Year in Review | 2022
Recently, I’ve been thinking about how accessible books are, and how accessible the book community as a whole is. I have fairly limited, and probably outdated, experience with accessibility features since I don’t require any myself. But it’s still something I think about when I’m reading, writing, or interacting with the book community online, and … More Accessibility in Reading
I’ve been doing monthly updates for a while now, but a lot happens in a month and a lot has changed in the past month as well. One of those changes is my decision to stop doing monthly updates and try something weekly instead. A little update on what I’m doing, what I’m making, and … More Sunday Synopsis, The First
One of my favorite things, whether in books or movies, is when a character is in a serious or dangerous situation and they say something so perfectly sarcastic that it momentarily dissolves the stress of the moment. I love dry comedy and I love banter between characters, but I love those things even more when … More Sarcasm in the Face of Danger
Style is the way a story is delivered. It’s the language used, the tone, the structure, the parts of a story that the author focuses on. Generally, a lot of books in a specific genre share similar style points. More specifically, certain styles can give away who the author is or be niche enough to … More Style
What a toasty spring we’ve been having. It isn’t even summer yet, but it feels like it. Recently I’ve been reading a lot, seeing some friends I haven’t seen in ages, and thinking about my priorities and goals for the rest of the year. A lot has changed in my life over the past few … More June Update | 2022
Imposter syndrome isn’t anything new, nor is it rare, but it is an isolating feeling when you feel it. If it weren’t so isolating, we probably would never feel it. Being able to acknowledge how many of our peers are also fumbling their ways through life, going through the motions of their roles, and hoping … More Imposter Syndrome
Comparing pieces of media to one another can be a great way to tell others what books, shows, music, movies, games, etc you’ve been loving, or not loving. It can help you relate your taste to other people, or to understand theirs. Or to understand your own so you can figure out what you like … More Compare and Contrast
Earlier this year, I began to realize I was approaching the point in revisions where I would need to recruit some outside help. I was chipping away at the same parts over and over again, not feeling confident that I had really nailed down certain plot points or fully fleshed out certain characters. So, I … More My First Beta Readers
It used to be that I would create something and feel proud, or satisfied, or relieved, or anything, really. Creation was a necessary release, and with every thing I created, I felt something. There was an emotion tied to it, a catharsis of some sort. Now, there’s often a guilt. A lack of satisfaction. When … More The Guilt of Creating
Writing seems like such a solitary activity, as does reading. It’s just you and the words on the page. Except it’s a lot more than that. In its simplest form, the writer is sharing a story with the reader. So, at a minimum, there are two people involved, sharing something between them. In a more … More Writing Community
Write what you know. We’ve all heard it at some point. But should you? Maybe.It’s not bad advice, but I think it’s a bit misleading. If we only wrote what we knew, exactly as we knew it, there wouldn’t be any fiction. Which would be fine for some people, but I love fiction. Sci-fi, fantasy, … More Write What You Know
I’ve accumulated a strange array of skills over the years. And I just keep adding to the collection. People who don’t know me well are surprised that I know how to do a lot of the things I know how to do. And no one who knows me is ever surprised or discouraging when I … More Jack of All Trades, Master of None
It doesn’t seem like anyone has hobbies anymore. Everything’s a side hustle. I’m always surprised to learn someone has a random side business. I’m always more surprised when people tell me I should turn something I create into a side business. It’s become increasingly common to have a side hustle. To try to turn a … More Hobbies for Hire
In July, I finished the first real novel outline I’ve ever made. I’ve done some outlining before, but it’s only ever a few main plot points and I just make the rest up as I’m drafting. That’s worked for me so far, but my current WIP is something I want to put a bit more … More 24 Chapter Outline
I don’t like picking names. I overthink it. It takes me forever. It just feels so permanent. And significant. And it matters to me, too much. Almost every name I pick, whether it’s a character or a place, has a meaning and a well thought out origin, down to the spelling. But, if you asked … More What’s in a Name?
It’s always exciting when your favorite book is turned into a movie or a television series. More people get to experience the story you already love, and more people are likely to pick up the book. But which one’s better? And do you really need to finish the book before you see the movie? The … More Adaptations
Sometimes you don’t need a series, sometimes you don’t need a spin-off, but sometimes it can be nice to get a little extra something. It’s not exactly the norm to have extra novels relating to a series, but it’s certainly not uncommon. Sometimes when a series is finished the author will release a prequel telling … More Prequels, Sequels, and Companion Novels
Sometimes when you finish a story, you want there to be more. But sometimes too much of a good thing isn’t really that good. So, how do you know if your story should be a series? I guess the answer is, you just know. But also, sometimes you don’t? A series as a whole should … More Series
If you choose to go the traditional route in publishing your novel, you’re going to need to query an agent. First off, you’ll need to do your research. Find out which agents are out there, what kinds of stories those agents are looking to represent, and which of the agents looking for a story like … More Querying
LessthanThreeD 