In honor of the recent New Year, let’s talk writing goals. Specifically, creating realistic and achievable writing goals.

How much should you aim to write in one day? How often should you write? What happens when you fall behind? Below I’ve outlined the steps on not only how to create achievable 2021 writing goals, but how to build healthy writing habits for years to come!

When novels are set in a world so like our own, pop culture references can be a key tool – a way to ground the reader, show feelings, situations, or details. But knowing when to add these gems and when to abstain is the trick. To help, I’ve created a quick checklist to assist in deciding whether your pop culture reference should be in your story.

Happy release day to Aurora Rose Reynolds! Baiting Him is available today through all your favorite retailers. It is book two in the How to Catch an Alpha series, but it is a standalone romance, so if you haven’t started the series or have never read Aurora, take this chance to jump in today!

If you are reading this, not only did you survive Friday, December 13th, but you are also already halfway through this week. Nice work! With the holidays imminent, ‘tis the season for new ideas! Check out some of the fabulous, wonderful, and wild from the world around us, and let the inspiration fly!

Happy December, ladies and gentlemen! I know many of you may have a #Nanowrimo hangover, but it is a new month and an opportunity to start fresh! Whether you need a break from your current work in progress or you finished you novel last month, check out this week’s Wild News Wednesday to spark a new idea or just to explore the crazy and awesome the world has to offer.

If you can believe it, we are quickly approaching the end of November already! For those of you taking a few days off to relax, eat good food, and enjoy great company, I wish you the happiest of holidays. For anyone that will be working through this crazy weekend — thank you so much for your hard work in keeping the world turning! You’ve got this!

No matter which way your weekend goes, it is always the perfect time to scope out some new story ideas — check out this week’s #wildnewswednesday to see if anything sparks that next great novel.

We’re trolling this week for some amazing new stories to spark ideas for your next book. Check out the wild and wacky below! Also, I found some amazing pun memes this week, so… you’re welcome.

Some of the greatest story ideas spark from the weird, wild, or wonderful around us.

Looking for a new character or story? Check out the below to see if it is the perfect starting point for your next idea!

See those two awesome nerds right there? I’m the one taking the awkward selfie in public and the other, who is actually focused on what she should be doing, is my sister. We get together to work on Saturday mornings whenever possible, and even though we are technically on opposite ends of the content spectrum — an author frantically trying to put down words, and an editor gleefully cutting them out — it’s still incredible how much she pushes me to do better, be better.

I only have one thing to say to you — DON’T LET MONDAY WIN! It is a vile, devious day, but we shall prevail! While there is no reward I can offer you to soften the blow, there are several coping mechanisms I’ve come to rely on that will hopefully help you as much as they help me.

Godspeed, my friends. See you on the other side.

if you are reading this, you’ve made it to day two! Whether you met your goal yesterday or not, you are back at the computer to tackle another 1,667 words today, which means you are AWESOME. Here are a few tips to keep you pushing, even though it is Saturday, your brain is tired, and Netflix is calling your name.

Happy November everybody!

For some, November brings to mind hot cider, cold days (snow!), and celebrating Thanksgiving with family and wayyyy too much food.

For those of us in the publishing industry, it is a time of innovation, creativity, stress, frustration, and a labor of love.

Happy #NaNoWriMo2019!

Whenever I tell someone I’m an editor, nine out of ten times the reaction I get is, “Ugh, grammar.” And when I explain my developmental editing focus, it is quickly followed by a “Huh?” 

For those not familiar with the publishing process, the concept of a developmental edit can seem foreign. Most are used to thinking of editing only the copyediting sense.

Editing is so much more than just that! As a developmental editor, I get to dive into the heart of your novel and help you clarify your vision for readers. Best. Job. Ever. But what is a developmental edit?

I’ve broken down the most common beginning steps that authors skip when starting a novel and how working through these initial phases will help you prepare as you start to plot or write, and continue to support your story all the way through pitching and publication.