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Prior to attending the ACFW Conference in Nashville last summer, I joined Scribes, the organization’s online critique group. Though I had a great experience with Scribes, I was interested in building similar relationships with writers at home. That being said, I was overwhelmed and uncertain where to begin. During the conference, I spoke with several other ladies to learn how they connected with writers …
My life as a writer has been crazy since I last posted, but I thought I’d step away from the first draft of my next book to update readers about this phase of my writing journey. When speaking with my agent in early February, we discussed a series anchored by the manuscript she held in her hands. I was given several options as we …
Last April, I made writing a priority in my life. My goal is to be a published author, and I’ve taken another step on this journey by accepting representation by a literary agent. Though there’s much work to be done, I thought I’d continue to share what I learn along the way. In this post, I reflect on …
While at the mall with my daughters last spring, we grabbed lunch at Chipotle in the food court. As the girls dug into their soft tacos, the print on the brown paper bag caught my eye. Tears blurred the words as I read “Two Minutes About Sardines” by Fue Xiong. The author describes the last meal his family ate on their final …
As I mentioned in a previous post, I joined a writers group in October (2016). I missed four of our weekly meetings due to the holidays. During my absence, I was inspired to write a series of short stories for a collection I’m calling 12 Gifts. Each story highlights a different service organization, informing readers of specific needs in the community and inspiring …
Last year, my daughter’s fifth grade reading class was assigned a historical fiction quilt project. Impressed with this assignment, I immediately started brainstorming how this project could be modified, specifically for younger readers. My daughters love to read. They often like to write stories and draw pictures. If you know kids like mine, this could …
As I mentioned in a previous post, I pitched a book at the ACFW Conference in August. In preparation for meetings with editors and agents during that weekend, I filled a spiral-bound book of index cards with important details about the manuscript. The book was small and lightweight, occupying little space in my bag. Though …
Earlier this fall, I submitted the first five pages of my most recent manuscript for young adults to the 2016 ACFW First Impressions Contest. As I entered this contest for the second year, I was not expecting to win or even be named a Finalist for that matter. My goal was to earn higher scores this …
My 11-year-old daughter and I attended Books by the Banks in Cincinnati this October. When we entered the Author Pavilion, she rushed over to meet Chris Grabenstein, the author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Both of my girls were drawn to the book by the challenging puzzles that were woven into the story. After …
This time last year, I had finished my first manuscript. A friend encouraged me to submit the first five pages to the 2015 ACFW First Impressions Contest. I followed her advice and entered my writing to be judged by three industry professionals. I had worked hard to revise the piece to the best of my …