writing
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Guest Post: Creating Compelling Characters
My dear friend Briana Morgan has guest posted on my blog before, and it is an honor to feature her again with a fantastic post on creating compelling characters. If you would like to read her other guest post, click here! Thank you, Mariella, for letting me guest post on your blog! Today, I’m thrilled…
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What I Learned as an Author in 2015
2015 was a special year because I finally published my first book, Dissonance, in June. I spent months putting it off–perhaps I was scared to have my story out in the open, or I edited too much. But it finally happened, and I never regretted it! I know it’s a cliche, but leave your comfort zone and dreams…
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wordstorms
Write. A very important word. I should put it on a sticky note on my computer to remind me to write. But I shouldn’t need a reminder–I mean, that’s what I do, right? Right? It’s been literally years since I’ve kept a personal journal consistently (meaning I wrote at least one entry per month.) For…
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My Latest, Cruel Goal
Today I turn 22. I’ve been looking at my achievements in the past year with a satisfied but restless eye. You see, the writer is never satisfied with her work…and I’ve set resolutions for this coming year that might seem hefty to many, even impossible. They’re goals I’m probably going to take years to achieve–but only…
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Cover Reveal: Dissonance by Mariella Hunt
With Serenade finally undergoing revision, it was time to get the cover business taken care of–to have a pair of matching covers ready for the sequel’s release. The second edition of Dissonance features a girl who looks exactly like Allie, and lots of blue–which is all she will wear. She loves blue. Fifteen-year-old singer Allie Grant lives crippled…
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Guest Post: Should You Write to the Trends?
Visit today’s fantastic guest at her blog, StoryPort! If you ask writers, “Should you write to the trends?” you’ll receive vastly different responses, each delivered with passionate conviction. With such a variety of opinions, which should you listen to? What’s right for your novel? There are a lot of pros and cons to writing to…
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Wendy Higgins on the Challenge of Publication
I’m often asked if I get writer’s block and how I get past it. The first answer is yes. Absolutely, without a question, I get terrible bouts of writer’s block. I’m talking about fortified WALLS that go up in my mind. I have yet to come up with a foolproof way to get past these…
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Searching for a Writing Buddy
Writing is most often portrayed as a solitary activity. Most people hear writer and picture a grumpy introvert poring over their manuscript in a dimly lit room, draining cups of coffee and filling wastebaskets with work they don’t like. It’s the romantic image of the focused artist, but the truth is, most of us aren’t like that;…
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Guest Post: A Little Bit of Everything Gets You Nowhere
Jack of All Trades, master of none, that’s how it goes. Right? How do we know what our calling is when we have so many? I studied Fine Art in college. I focused on painting. But I never find myself able to commit to any one idea. When I moved to Germany, my new group…
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Learning to Love Your Writing
As creatives, we never seem to be finished with our projects. Most writers find it difficult to read their work after publication, because we are harsh critics. It doesn’t matter how many times people tell us they enjoyed the story–we always find something in our work to criticize. I found that to be the case…
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Guest Post: Maximize Your Writing Muses
The word “muse” may often call forth images of Renaissance Italy, tortured poets and gifted painters with women to whom all their works were dedicated. Next to God, love is the second greatest inspiration visible in classic art, and even more so evident in the modern pieces of today. However, where does the inspiration come…
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Tips on Overcoming Self-Doubt in Creativity
We waste so much potential every day when we listen to self-doubt. This week I talked to other creatives about the things keeping them from progress in their work. By the end of the discussion, I realized we had one common enemy: Doubt. It’s natural to fear nobody will like our work. Fear makes us question whether…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 