author & ghostwriter
I've been on hiatus for several weeks now. Yesterday, it took a long time for me to muster the courage to open Serenade and start final edits. Perhaps I was afraid it would need rewriting. In the past, I could only make my stories better by rewriting entire chapters. This time, it's not the case. … Continue reading Edits & Expectations
When you're a writer, time goes by slowly. Maybe it's because we play with time in the stories we tell; everything appears bigger and full of mystery. It feels like years have passed since I started drafting Serenade. I completed the first version in early January, and in the time since then, I've learned a lot … Continue reading Road to Serenade – Day 1
Writing a book is one of the most difficult things in the world. Having just finished a novel this week, I feel like it's the most difficult thing. Even now that I have an almost-complete draft, putting it away for a month remains a challenge. My mind won't settle; it keeps insisting that I have … Continue reading Dealing with Manuscript Fright
As I stated in this post, when I am immersed in a writing project my blog suffers. It's been weeks since my last post; every day I had the intentions of writing a review, since I did quite a bit of reading despite the writing and edits, but there never seemed to be time. Since my … Continue reading Writing Update: The Spontaneous Novella
I'm taking another break from editing Serenade, and thought this an appropriate time for an update. I get so caught up in the editing process that I forget to tell people how I'm doing. I've learned many things since editing began, but perhaps the biggest lesson is that my books tend to be short. It's been a … Continue reading Writing Update: On Short Novels
Experienced writers know their work isn't through after the first draft. The opposite is true: Your first draft is the beginning of a long, tedious cycle. Quality work comes from months of writing, editing, and rewriting. Most of a writer's stress emerges in the editing phase. If done without pause, editing can make you sick. … Continue reading 5 Acceptable Ways to Procrastinate Editing
Well, guys--it's begun. Earlier this year I completed a draft of Serenade coherent enough to show other people, but since it's still a little rusty, it's time to enter the beta reading phase. What is beta reading? It means I find people I trust who are willing to give me some of their time in order … Continue reading The Start of Serenade Beta
Sometimes it's hard to write--oh, fine. It's always hard to write. We lack motivation, ideas, or support from fellow writers; when that happens, it's tempting to draw a blank and give up. That's when we need pep talks to motivate us; it hurts when our passion becomes a challenge. I'm sure you've asked at some point in a … Continue reading Advice for the Struggling Novelist
Calling all bookworms! The Book Creators hope to provide engaging posts for bibliophiles in all stages of their passion. Published or unpublished, reader or writer, our aim is to be a home for those who can't live without a book in their backpack (or maybe two.) We have gathered from all over the world with … Continue reading The Book Creators – for those who thrive on literature
I have a beta reader named Heather. (Who had an epic summer and went to Spain. Visit her blog here!) There should be more beta readers like her in the world. I'm so lucky that she's agreed to read through my manuscript three times, and is willing to do a fourth. Also I'm really glad she likes the … Continue reading Heather Says:
Yesterday I met Faith, a lovely fellow blogger who has been my pen pal for years. I have a drawer full of snail mail letters, and we've known each other for a long time, but even though we live in the same state--we'd never met before! We went to a Starbucks at the grocery store … Continue reading meeting Faith
Mariella Hunt 