Ideas About Writing to Plot Point and Time Management

You know how I promised you all more stories in my Circle of Nine series? I’m finally constructing the outlines! I’ve been pulling research books off my shelf and realized I’d compiled a wonderful library of Celtic mythology and witchy guides to help me craft the perfect details to make my stories come alive. And, what better time to do this than in the witchiest month of the year?

So welcome to Part One of Books that Help Me Write My Books.

November is a special month for writers. It’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and its goal is to get as many words written for a new novel as possible. It’s a fantastic thirty-day challenge that is exhilarating and draining at the same time. In honor of the event, I’m offering tips about tackling the “messy middle” for both the September and October blog posts.

I was extremely saddened to get the email this week announcing that not only will my favorite writing conference (The University of Wisconsin Writers’ Institute) be discontinued—the entire University of Wisconsin Continuing Studies writing program is also suffering the same fate.

I like a good story and I’m not picky if I read it, listen to it, or watch it on the big or small screen. While the big screen is a little difficult during a pandemic, the small screen certainly hasn’t been. I’ve admitted my TV addiction in a previous post, and if it’s even possible, I’ve been watching even more television since the pandemic hit in mid-March. 

Good query letter writing seems like a mysterious process, but its necessity to landing an agent or editor makes for a pressure-filled, intimidating task.

But it needn't be! 

In truth, writing a query letter is rather formulaic. I’ve split the process into ten manageable steps, so you can create a letter that will stand out from all the others flooding agents' and editors' email inboxes on a daily basis. 

I often share writing tips and indie publishing shortcuts in the Writers’ Forum at the end of each month, but today I’m writing an entire article devoted to my favorite products and platforms that make my life easier. These are my secret weapons! (Well – not so secret anymore!) Some of these are free and some are well-worth the money, depending on where you are in your publishing journey/adventure.

Welcome to May, writers. In Wisconsin, it’s a month of flowers, sunshine, end-of-school events, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day. May is a wonderful kick-off month to summer.