Welcome to My Blog/Newsletter
Why subscribe?
To read about another writer’s journey through writing, revising, querying, and learning
To see photos of my dogs 😉
To read about specific craft issues from the point of view of a book coach/experienced writer who wants to help other writers improve their craft
Goals, Expectations, a Podcast Episode, and a Free Webinar
New year, new goals?
Setting goals for my writing is fairly straightforward for me, but for my book coaching business, not so much. As a result, I’ve been looking into ways to do better, think more strategically, plan, and then execute.
How a Smart Reader Can Help You Revise
For the last two months, I’ve been revising my MG novel, No Dogs Die in This Book, based on feedback from my Highlights faculty reader, Crystal Allen.
The changes I’m making are not massive or structural. I’m not changing the point of view character, for example, or the plot.
The biggest change is to one of the secondary characters, an old dog named Birdie, who’s modeled on my husband’s first German Shorthaired Pointer, Heidi. Birdie is a mentor to 4-year-old Chester, the English Setter who’s my main character.
Tough Feedback from my Highlights Faculty Reader
A week ago I received an editorial letter from my Highlights faculty reader, Crystal Allen. The letter was full of big picture feedback about my MG novel, No Dogs Dies in This Book. After reading through her letter twice and then going through her comments in the manuscript itself, I was convinced that she disliked this story.
A Whole Novel Evaluation
In August I’ll attend my first ever Whole Novel Workshop at Highlights. I’m submitting my middle grade novel, No Dogs Die in This Book, the story that landed me an agent two years ago.
Feedback from Beta Readers
After I finished revising my MG zoo mystery based on feedback from a book coach in training, I sought out beta readers—people who aren’t professional editors or book coaches but who are smart readers.
Feedback on Your Novel Can Be So Motivating
A week before Christmas I had a Zoom call with a book coach in training. I was serving as a practice client for her as she completed her practicum on a full manuscript evaluation.
Kenda read the whole draft of my middle grade zoo mystery, which is about 250 pages or 60,000 words. Her feedback included detailed comments and questions on the first 20 pages and an editorial letter.
Her editorial letter provided that big picture view that’s so hard to give yourself about your own work.
How Have You Made Yourself Proud in 2023?
As the year winds down, it’s time to reflect on your writing goals for the year. How did you do? And what did you learn from your progress (or lack of progress)?
A New Offer: Developmental Editing
I’m going to start offering developmental editing, which is more of a “one and done” approach. (This will be in addition to book coaching, which I love!) I’m thinking of offering two different levels of developmental editing.
Writing a Synopsis Is Not Fun—Why You May Want to Anyway
When I was actively searching for an agent, I deliberately avoided querying agents who required a synopsis because I dreaded writing one so much.
A synopsis is supposed to reveal the whole story, including the ending, in roughly 500 words or so.
Plot Flaw, Part 2, Or How to Let Your Subconscious Do Some of the Work
A couple of weeks ago I found a plot flaw as I worked on the inside outline of my zoo mystery. It was a little alarming given how carefully I thought I’d planned things.
Nevertheless, I told myself not to worry about it for the time being. I’d let my subconscious have a go at it while I wrote the “because of that” explanation pieces to make sure the scenes are causally linked.