Hello, dear readers! This week, I finished the third draft of my novel, The Loss of Our Mothers, set during the Great Blizzard of 1888. Which means that I am now looking for beta-readers. Hey, Leanne, what are beta-readers? Beta-readers volunteer to read a manuscript between drafts. The book is complete, but still in progress. My favorite things […]
novel
Writing Process: 7 Productivity Boosters
Draft 2 of Blizzard, my novel set during the Blizzard of 1888, turned into something of a beast: it was a complete re-write that took very little material from the first draft. I worked almost exclusively on it from mid-January to mid-May. Along the way, I adapted my writing process and learned some new tricks to help […]
100 Books: Winter/Spring Favorites
In 2016, I read just over 90 new books. I decided to set a goal for 100 books in 2017, knowing that I’d be home with the baby for much of the year, nursing with Kindle in hand or taking walks with my Audible app. 100 books is a true challenge, and I’m not sure I’m […]
2017 Resolutions
I’m happy to make a resolution or goal any time of year, but even though New Year’s is a completely arbitrary date, it does close out the holiday season, and that makes it a perfect time to recommit to priorities. So even though I’m calling these “resolutions,” they’re really just a to-do list for the […]
Fall Reading Round-Up
Fall reading has been a bounty of riches! I’ve jumped right back into my Kindle-while-nursing habit, and since I’m nursing a lot, and need good books to keep me awake at 2AM (see category below) my reading time has increased in both quality and quantity. I’ve read- ready for this?- 20 books since Eleanor was born, […]
NaNoWriMo, Week 1
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of National Novel-Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). For those who are unfamiliar, this is a month-long event that takes place every November, in which participants challenge themselves (and each other) to write a full-length novel (50,000 words, approximately the length of The Great Gatsby) in thirty days. It’s an immensely […]