This blog is late. It's late because I made the silly mistake of promising in my last post in this series that the next part would come "next week" i.e. the second half of November. Well, that didn't happen, for a variety of reasons including getting behind on NaNoWriMo, exciting new health issues, and getting … Continue reading All Downhill From Here: Story Structure in Act 2, Part 2
Category: Writing Life
Setting the Stage for Story: Structuring the First Act
All you need to write a story is a beginning, a middle, and an end. The three-act structure sounds simple enough. It’s a classic, literally, originating with the theories of Aristotle and still central to much of the structural writing advice that floats around today. But drilling down into exactly how each act should work—and … Continue reading Setting the Stage for Story: Structuring the First Act
Tips, Tricks, and Tools for NaNoWriMo Fast Drafting
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Welcome to the wild winter word marathon known as National Novel Writing Month. Over the next thirty days, thousands of ambitious writers will churn out 50,000 words apiece to earn nothing but bragging rights, a hearty case of sleep deprivation, and hopefully part of a messy first … Continue reading Tips, Tricks, and Tools for NaNoWriMo Fast Drafting
Feeds Don’t Nourish Me: Social Media and Creativity
Social media is overrated for creators. There, I said it. Surprised to hear this from me? I am too, a bit. I spent the last year or so learning how to use social media to promote my books, even sharing a few how-to posts here. Lately, though, I’ve done a lot of reflection on my … Continue reading Feeds Don’t Nourish Me: Social Media and Creativity
Refilling the Wellspring: 7 Remedies for Creative Drain
Creativity is a renewable resource—but that doesn’t mean that it’s inexhaustible. Without sustainable use, the creative well tends to run dry, resulting in burnout or writer’s block. This post will address the need to maintain your creative reserves and suggest some ways to refill the well when you’re feeling drained, blocked, or out of ideas. … Continue reading Refilling the Wellspring: 7 Remedies for Creative Drain
Writers, We Need to Talk About Creative Burnout
This summer, I burned out. I touched on this in my post last week with a few brief paragraphs about why I'd disappeared from most of my online platforms. Part of me wanted to leave it at that, but even as I kept my personal update short, I knew I had more to say. After … Continue reading Writers, We Need to Talk About Creative Burnout
Make Creative Space: Shifting Gears to Slow My Roll
Hi, my name is Erin, and I'm bad at taking breaks. Notoriously bad at it. I am anything but a role model for self-care, no matter how many posts I write about it, trying to convince myself otherwise. Exhibit 1: I am about to write a blog post about how I'm giving myself a break … Continue reading Make Creative Space: Shifting Gears to Slow My Roll
Five Lessons From the Other Side of the Query Letter
Hello from the other side! June has been a busy month for me. I had my second book release and wrote my first official edit letter as a Rogue Mentor. I’m also slowly working through feedback letters to some Rogue hopefuls. And now that my mentee has started her revision process, I want to share … Continue reading Five Lessons From the Other Side of the Query Letter
How to Learn to Relax and Love the Edit Letter (Kind of)
The edit letter: words that strike fear into the hearts of many an author. We are sensitive creatures, we writers, and never so sensitive as when we put our work into the hands of critics. We know editors and critique partners want our work to reach its highest potential, but it doesn’t take the sting … Continue reading How to Learn to Relax and Love the Edit Letter (Kind of)
Debut No More: Why the Second Book Hits Different
Read on for an excerpt from Cambion's Blood! My debut year has come and gone. In a way, it's nice to be able to say that. There’s so much expectation and pressure wrapped up in first-time authorship. I wrote here extensively about my debut experience. It was a wild year of ups and downs, lessons … Continue reading Debut No More: Why the Second Book Hits Different