My award-winning debut novel, Small as a Mustard Seed, got a new cover and is available in paperback once again! What Small as a Mustard Seed is about: As the daughter of a Korean war veteran, Ann Marie learns not to trust people, including her own parents. While her father rages with post-traumatic stress …
Well, I already wrote about all the perks of living in the country. But as we all know, you need conflict to tell a great story. So here are a few cons that also shaped me (& made me a better writer) by growing up in rural America. Cons of living in the country: …
How Being a Country Girl Has Made Me A Better Writer Read More »
Favorite writing advice: “You want to learn to write great dialogue? Study great plays.” Who said the writing advice learn dialogue by studying plays: Carson Grace Becker, drama & story professor and playwright Why: Writing good dialogue truly is a skill. It takes practice and listening to get the characters on the page to sound …
My Favorite Writing Advice: Learn Dialogue By Studying Plays Read More »
Choose Fear is thinking what I’m doing doesn’t matter, faith is me believing it matters and doing it. Fear is believing no one cares, faith is believing that at least one person does. Fear is believing that I don’t make a difference, faith is believing that at least one person is getting something from …
Favorite writing advice: “Write without editing in your journal for 15 minutes every day. It will change your life.” Who said the writing advice write 15 minutes every day: Katherine Black, poet & creative writing professor Why: Writing steam of consciousness ~ whatever comes to mind, zero editing or judgment ~ lets you open up your …
My Favorite Writing Advice: Write 15 Minutes Every Day Read More »
My novel, Small as a Mustard Seed, just won the Silver Medal 2012 Book Award for Literary Fiction by the Military Writers Society of America. I’ve been a member of the MWSA for nearly a year now and am happy to support our troops in the best way that I know how, by writing. …
Small as a Mustard Seed Wins MWSA Silver Medal for Literary Fiction Read More »
I am somewhat obsessed with war. My grandfather fought for the Germans on the Russian front during World War II. My grandmother, in the middle of 1940s Germany, held their little family together by herself for more than six years. My dad had the formative years of his childhood in a war-torn environment and …
Favorite writing advice: “Trust the story.” Who said the writing advice trust the story: Patricia Ann McNair, creative writing professor Why: The story knows what it wants to be. You just need to get out of the way ~ with your thoughts on what it should be or what you want it to be, trying to …
Favorite writing advice: “Slow down & SEE it.” Who said the writing advice slow down & see it: Ann Hemenway, fiction writing professor (& University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop grad so she knows her stuff) Why: Sometimes going fast is the best thing to do the first time through so you can get it all …
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ~ Stephen King To be a good writer, you must read to learn what is good writing Reading good writing can teach you about structure, dialogue, pacing, plot, using symbols & imagery to convey a …
