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Odyssey of the Mind, Publishing, The Crimson Five series

Celebrate the Middle

If you’re a big dreamer like I am, sometimes it’s hard to see small wins or milestones for what they are: a big deal. We sometimes get so hyper-focused on the end game—our ultimate, long-term goals, that we forget to see the in-between, smaller achievements as a huge deal too. I used to be like… Continue reading Celebrate the Middle

The Crimson Five series, Writing Craft

Spring Cleaning your Manuscript

Since we’re well into Spring, I think we better talk about spring cleaning our manuscripts. Do you have Spring Fever too? Cleaning our manuscripts? Yes! It’s time to get rid of all those dirty words. You know the ones. Filler words. Words like: that, just, really, and very. They weaken your writing and bog down… Continue reading Spring Cleaning your Manuscript

Publishing

Publishing Expectations vs Reality: Part 3

Hi there! Thanks for stopping back for the final installment of Publishing Expectations vs Reality! In case you missed them, you can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.  As always, please keep in mind these are my experiences, and those of many other authors, but certainly not indicative of every author’s experiences. Got it? Okay…… Continue reading Publishing Expectations vs Reality: Part 3

Publishing

Publishing Expectations vs Reality: Part 2

Hey there! I hope you caught Part 1 of this blog series last week. If not, scroll back. You’ll find my first three Publishing Expectations vs Reality thoughts there with an explanation of how this blog topic came to be.  Moving on… Expectation 4: My book will be stocked in every bookstore and library everywhere. Reality:  Maybe… Continue reading Publishing Expectations vs Reality: Part 2

Publishing, The Crimson Five series

Publishing Expectations vs Reality: Part 1

Last week, I gave a presentation to my local writers groups with author, Marsha Hayles. The Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators group is a subgroup of SCBWI- such a great bunch of people! I became a member almost 15 years ago around the time I began working towards publication. Back then, I didn’t know… Continue reading Publishing Expectations vs Reality: Part 1

Creativity, Writing Craft

Name Your Characters with Intention

There’s nothing like getting your character names right. But assigning the right names can be tricky. When done well, they’ll fit each character like a cashmere sweater or a favorite pair of jeans. When done not so well, they’ll feel forced or like an afterthought—and no one wants their brainchild to feel like an afterthought.… Continue reading Name Your Characters with Intention