Growing up, I had three favorite soap operas: All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital. Despite the outrageous storylines and the various character changes, there was one thing that held my attention all those years: the plot twist In a soap opera, a character that was killed off years ago reappears. You…
COVID-19 aka Rona is doing a hell of a 2-step on my nerves. At the time I published this, Virginia is under a stay at home order until June 10. I’m now working at home, which I love. That may be one of the few bright spots of this pandemic. When I’m not working my…
I’m so protective of my work, but my opinion isn’t the only one that matters. Seeking feedback from trusted readers is an important part of my writing process. Because feedback stresses me out, I give myself a pep talk to keep myself calm while I’m in this phase of the process. You took an idea…
I have a bunch of unfinished stories and projects stashed away in Evernote and Google Docs. Why? Distraction. I start off strong. I’ll focus on one thing, scheduling time to work on it each day. I’ll make progress, but that progress will come to a halt. I got an idea. This idea had nothing to…
Sometimes I feel stuck in my writing journey for a variety of reasons (e.g. zero motivation, unable to work through a story, lack of confidence, etc). Writing isn’t easy and being stuck is a component of my writing journey that I have to work with. Instead of feeling bad for being stuck, I decided to…
Story length is one of those storytelling components I obsess over. How long (or short) should it be? Should you stick to established word count or go rogue? Will anyone read it if it’s too long or too short? Word count charts are helpful. Articles on the importance of word counts are also helpful. But…
After watching the series finale of Game of Thrones, I thought about the role plot twists play in storytelling. They can make or break a story. They can excite a reader or completely turn them off. When I’m working on a story, sometimes I come up with the plot twist while I’m planning the story.…
It takes me forever to finish a physical book and that’s IF I finish it (stares at the pile of unfinished books in front of me). Why? Laziness and my inability to prioritize reading. Once I acknowledged the problem, I could work on the solution. Audiobooks. I downloaded the Libby app. Once I linked my…
There’s no standard when it comes to self-care. It can be face masks and soaks in hot baths. Or nestled with a cozy blanket, a good book, and your drink of choice. Or my fave, a nap. As a creative, self-care is mandatory if I want to avoid creative burnout. My self-care practice sometimes involves…
Developing your writing style takes time. Once you develop it, it will change as you progress as a writer. You’ll have a variety of cadences in your writing arsenal. Unlike grammar, there are no rules when it comes to your writing style other than making the writing style your own. Write On, Joy