So… upon closer contemplation of my current draft, I discovered a huge, gaping, truck-swallowing hole in my plot. One that, like the last time, could derail the whole novel. Can’t tell you what it is–it’s not yet time to give away all … Continue reading →

Everyone needs a break. I realized I should give Lyra one, too. The idea comes from an online post I read that was written by Divergent author Veronica Roth on her website (www.veronicaroth.blogspot.ca) about her writing process for the wildly successful YA novel … Continue reading →

… Not the post–no, “untitled” is the title of the post, since I am bemoaning the subject–but the novel. After more than two and a half years, I still don’t have a title for my book. I’m nearing the end; I’m … Continue reading →

” When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.” — Enrique Jardel Poncela You walk into a bookstore; you peruse the shelves, the tables, the displays. You pick up a book and flip through … Continue reading →

It’s what all good stories have. We want to see how a character can develop and change, otherwise the story and its whole purpose is stagnant. As an English teacher, I’m always pointing out how a character, especially the protagonist, … Continue reading →

For years, I lived inside Mackenna Duff’s head. She’s my main character from my first YA novel. I knew all about her love of cooking and all this Parisian, her strained relationship with her dad, and her close connection with … Continue reading →

I have no new insight to offer you today. Instead, I am diligently working through my draft with the same focus: check “voice”–make sure Lyra always sound like Lyra check diction–look for the best word, especially to punch up the language … Continue reading →

I’ve ventured beyond my comfort zone: someone has actually read (part of ) my novel. My first reader is a literary critic of the most fundamental kind: a 12-year-old girl who devours books faster than I can read the blurbs … Continue reading →

We’ve come full circle, you, dear reader, and I. I’m at the point in my new draft where I’m revising sections that I’ve already posted here. Sections that I told you were better. Sections that I led you to believe … Continue reading →

I give up. Not the book (too much blood, sweat and tears so far). I give up reading the hard copy. I got a little over half way through and I had to stop, because my penciled comments were overtaking … Continue reading →