Reading, wRiting, and Roaming with Author Valerie Biel

I’m late to the game but I’ve finally read Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I enjoyed both of these books immensely and not for completely different reasons. Believe or not, there were similarities between an adult memoir of growing up in Appalachia and a young adult partially-autobiographical novel based on growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State.

First, both of these books evoke strong emotions in their readers. I’m no exception—I will definitely be thinking about these books for a long time. They both touch on emotions that nearly everyone can relate to and, at the same time, offer a window into a part of our nation... Continue Reading

In my journey through the steps of independent publishing, refining my writing skills, and most recently completing a successful agent search, I’ve come across some excellent information, tips, tools, and shortcuts that I think would be beneficial to any writer. Once a month, I’ll share the “best of” information and news from the publishing industry as well as feature other authors and writing instructors with tips to share. I am incredibly thankful for the assistance and advice given to me from writing and publishing professionals and am happy pay that forward. On a professional level, I also use my publicity and editorial skills to aid other authors through my company Lost Lake Press.

Using time to outline a novel

It’s still summer. In between picnics, parties, and vacations, who has time to write?

Like last month, I maintain the premise that summer fun interferes with pen-to-paper time. That’s why I’m discussing writing methods rather than actual writing. In June, I offered ideas about using seasons as a way to get started. This month, I’m blogging about using time to organize an outline. These summer blog posts are helping me begin a new novel, and to repeat what I said last month, the two things I first must establish are season and time.

By “seasons,” I refer to either a season of life or a time of... Continue Reading

You might remember in March when I started talking about stretching my creativity by doing things that took me away from my normal activities and outside my comfort zone. I called this my “Never done THIS before” challenge and asked you all to join me. A few of you replied that you were going to try to put some new things into your schedule, and I promised to check back in to let you know how I was doing.

What kicked off this thinking for me was attending a modern dance show at Winona State University in February. I was intrigued by the collaboration of arts and the inspiration we can get for our own creativite endeavors. This led me to the creation of the NDTB-Challenge that... Continue Reading