Caviar? What? I had to research caviar, something I have never eaten and will never eat (I don't care for seafood). Then, I had to figure out how to fit it into my story... Oy vey.
Category: Writing
A Treasure Map of Ideas (Author Toolbox)
You may or may not have heard about mind maps for brainstorming ideas. However, I find coming up with those ideas to be considerably difficult sometimes, especially when it comes to teaching essays in class.
MC’s garage sale (Author Toolbox)
This exercise creates questions. Will all the answers show up in the novel? Probably not... but the answers will help us better understand our character.
3 Tips for Starting a New Notebook (Author Toolbox)
I don't know about you, but every time I go into a store that sells notebooks, I find myself picking up each one and flipping through it. Even if I don't intend to buy one, I imagine what could be written on those pages.
Evolution of my Writer’s Notebook: 7 notebooks and counting…
Not only have my notebooks changed over the years, but my writing has also changed. Please join me as I walk you through the evolution of my writer's notebook, including four key things about each notebook.
“Rise Again” — Quarantine, Family, and Reflection
Four months... I haven't posted anything on this blog for four months. Did you miss me? I don't know about you, but life has been pretty crazy since January. Long story short, I've had a lot of reasons (excuses) not to write. However, I plan to remedy that now. But first, you should listen to [...]
#100DaysofNotebooking — Days 8-14!
Week two of #100DaysofNotebooking has come and gone. With it, I have had a blast trying new things, reflecting on topics I enjoy, and planning for future writing. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Michelle Haseltine and her post where she introduces this amazing notebooking challenge! You can start your day one [...]
#100DaysofNotebooking — Table of Contents
As I was preparing for my second post about #100DaysofNotebooking, I realized that my titles don't really help you know the content of the posts. Notebooking daily means the topic likely changes daily, so I've decided to keep a Table of Contents here for you in case you want to see certain kinds of posts. [...]
#100DaysofNotebooking — Days 1-7!
Welcome to 2020! I don't know about you guys, but I started the new year with daily writing. I know... I know... I should've already been doing that. I wasn't. However, with the beginning of #100DaysofNotebooking (started by Michelle Haseltine), I've formed a habit that I would love to share with you! Want to know [...]
No excuses — What’s new this year?
Happy New Year (and one month)! I haven't written much in quite some time, mostly due to being super busy. But I'm still here, and I'm going to get back on track! You read that right. I plan to get back to my writing so much so that you will be able to read my [...]
Out with the old… In with the new!
How many of you set goals each year? How many of your goals do you achieve? I set quite a few goals for 2017, and some of them were successful. I hope to be a lot more successful this year by planning out exactly what I need to do to achieve them. I start by [...]
Why I Write…
People write for all sorts of reasons every single day: send a text or email, leave or make a note, finish something for work or school, jot down a recipe, send a letter, balance a checkbook, make a grocery list, etc. I, too, write America. As a writer and teacher of writing, I'm also excited [...]
I’ve been nominated for the Liebster Award!
I've been nominated! Woohoo!! I've been nominated for the Liebster Award! I've been nominated for the -- wait a second... What exactly is the Liebster Award? The Liebster Award Questions. I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Dianna Gunn, but I was left with questions. What is this award? Who's it for? Why pick [...]
Searching for Support: 2 Things You Need When You Marry a Writer
No matter what we're trying to accomplish, we hope for the support of our friends and family to see us through all the ups and downs of our adventures. Sometimes, that support is a lot closer to home than we thought. I have all sorts of support: parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, and other writers, but [...]
The Wonderful World of Writer’s Notebooks
Teaching writing to middle school students has taught me many things, but one lesson screams the loudest: writer's need to write. I already knew this, right? I'm also a writer, so I had to already have known this. Of course I did, but it was never more true for me as a writer as it [...]
Conquering the Writing Process in 7 Steps
The Writing Process. We've all heard of it. We know what it is. We know why it's used. We know that it's often the bane of our existence. Why does the combination of those three words fill us with dread? Shouldn't they excite us and fill us with wonder? They are here for us, the [...]
“Who are you?” – Writing under a pen name…
Are the lyrics ringing in your ears now? Do you "really want to know" the answer? Do you have a pen name, a name other than your own, that you use for writing? Why... A few years ago, an author I admire decided to stop writing the series she was working on. It was an [...]
