I can’t believe May is here already. April feels like a blur to me; where did the month go?! May reminds me that I need to soon start on the second draft of THE RIVER’S EDGE. I panic a little when I remember how much Reading & Research I wanted to accomplish on my between-drafts [...]
Archive for April, 2009
School Visits!
Posted in Speaking, tagged school visits on April 28, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Remember that secret stuff I worked on last week? It was all preparation for my first-ever school visits! Monday I spoke to approximately eighty second graders at West Carroll Elementary! I talked about imperfect first drafts, how to “show, not tell,” and getting the most out of their journals. The kids were so excited about [...]
Updating Website
Posted in Marketing, tagged website on April 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Just to warn you—this is not Tuesday’s Topic, which I’m pushing back to Wednesday. I’ll be discussing school visits, so tune in again if you want to hear about the classes I talked to today (and the one I’ll talk to tomorrow!). If you’ve visited this site before today, you’ll notice a few changes I [...]
Twitter Here, Twitter There
Posted in Marketing, tagged family, Twitter on April 23, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Okay, so I didn’t find time to change the website yet. Disappointing, I know. Son got sick this week, so he’s missed school the past two days. Plus I’ve been busy with secret work… really, I have. I know that seems unlikely, since I have nothing to show for it. But it’s all in the [...]
Preparing for the Second Draft
Posted in Research, tagged setting, THE RIVER'S EDGE--2nd draft on April 21, 2009 | 5 Comments »
I haven’t started the second draft; I’m still on “break.” But I can do little things to prepare for it, things I don’t consider as “work.” I call it the fun type of research. Some people would argue that all research is fun. They’re easily absorbed in reading mythology or historical records. Me… not so [...]
Done!
Posted in Marketing, Writing, tagged Facebook, THE RIVER'S EDGE--1st draft on April 17, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
YES—I completed the first draft of THE RIVER’S EDGE! *confetti* Okay, here’s a quick breakdown of stats to satisfy my inner geeky mathematician (which is weak compared to my other geeky personas). The first draft process spanned 59 days… but I only wrote on 41 of those days. I lost three days to sickness, [...]
Character Chart
Posted in Writing, tagged characters, chart on April 14, 2009 | 4 Comments »
Which is better: a plot-driven story, or a character-driven story? It’s obvious, right? We want both! The best stories keep us chasing our favorite character through more twists and turns than a roller coaster ride. But if you had to choose one aspect, plot or character, which would you choose? I’d choose character. If the [...]
Good Friday
Posted in Writing, tagged family on April 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
We returned home Wednesday evening after a five-day-sorta vacation. We stayed with my parents Saturday and Sunday, which included such highlights as a pig sale and visit to Jenny’s house. On Monday, my husband defended his Master’s thesis—and passed! He technically has the degree now, but he wants to change some things in his paper [...]
Increasing Traffic to Your Blog
Posted in Marketing, tagged blog traffic, networking on April 7, 2009 | 3 Comments »
A few weeks ago, I received the following question from Sybille: How can I direct traffic to my blog? Thanks for your patience, Sybille, and I’ll do my best to answer your question. Disclaimer: I am not a marketing expert. But I do read several websites and blogs, from which I’ve gleaned some ideas about [...]
Last Chapter Frolics
Posted in Writing, tagged family, THE RIVER'S EDGE--1st draft on April 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
That’s right—I’m on the last chapter of THE RIVER’S EDGE! Of course, I’d hoped to finish by Thursday night, so I’m still a little behind. My new goal is Friday night… because Saturday morning, we’re leaving to visit my parents! It would be wonderful to celebrate a finished draft during my little vacation. I had [...]
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