Hello World!

I took a break from blogging. I know - you may have noticed since it was well over a month since I posted anything substantial.

There were several reasons for the hiatus.

1. I tiled my kitchen, dining room, and guest bathroom. (Okay - I did not tile it all myself, but I most definitely grouted)
2. My team at work doubled in size.
3. Season premieres of my favorite shows - Castle anyone? And wow, Flash Forward is my new fave!
4. I started thinking about blog posts when I should have been thinking about my book.

That's right - I met that dreadful stage when blogging started taking over much of my writing time. Since I have so very little of it, I wanted to focus more on writing. I also started feeling stressed about blogging. Something I quickly realized was ridiculous since the only person putting the pressure on to blog was me.

So, I went cold turkey for a while. I didn't quite get my novel to where I want it (grrr...endings!) but I did feel the stress level go down.

Are you at (or over) the point where blogging takes up most of your writing time? What do you do to combat it?

Good To Know You

Visit Give a Girl a Pen to see my Good To Know You post.

Good To Know You

Visit Give a Girl a Pen to see my Good To Know You post.

Good To Know You

Visit Give a Girl a Pen to see my Good To Know You post.

What If?

“What If” is one of the most important questions we, as writers, can ask ourselves.

What if all of the Earth's volcanoes exploded tomorrow?
What if my grandfather started speaking to me while in a coma?
What if conjoined twins' souls got separated during surgery?

Well, you get the idea. Asking "What If" helps strengthen our writing. We can create more complex plots, sharpen our timing, and deepen our characters. But too often we get fixated on the wrong What Ifs and negatively impact our writing.

What if that agent doesn't like my query?
What if I don't get published?
What if everyone laughs at my Illusions’ Mini Excerpts?

Wait- you don't ask yourself that last one? Hmmm...must just be my “friend”.

How has asking "What If?" improved your writing?

Illusions Mini Excerpt

“I don’t get you.” He brushed a hand through his hair. “You climb cliffs and attack strangers without blinking. But one little rat has you screaming like a girl.”

“I am a girl, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Yeah. I noticed.” He bit his bottom lip, then turned his head as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

She didn't know if he was hiding a smirk, but wanted to deck him anyway. Just in case.

Good To Know You

Visit Give a Girl a Pen to see my Good To Know You post.