Don't know how to go about applying developmental edits for the first time? Here are six things I did to apply and organize my developmental edits.
How to Catch Up During National Novel Writing Month
You’re behind with National Novel Writing Month, aren’t you? Don’t worry; I’m not calling you out. It’s bound to happen to everyone during the challenge, unless you’re some sort of magical unicorn. And in that case, I applaud you, dear magical NaNoWriMo-ing unicorn. I envy you! But, chances are you’re more like the rest of us common folk… behind and worried about how you’re going to catch up. We common folk need to stick together when that happens, which is why I’m going to share with you my favorite strategies for catching up when I fall behind during NaNoWriMo.
Motivational Reframing: Trade Doomscrolling for Joyful Productivity
How often do you catch yourself doomscrolling? I didn’t think I even did it, until I until I watched a fantastic video essay by Struthless called “The Hidden Cost of Doomscrolling.” But what exactly is doomscrolling? According to Dictionary.com, it is “the practice of obsessively checking online news for updates, especially on social media feeds, with the expectation that the news will be bad, such that the feeling of dread from this negative expectation fuels a compulsion to continue looking for updates in a self-perpetuating cycle.” Struthless’ video expounds on that, labeling it as an addiction to negativity and exposing its different forms and costs on you.
Book Review: Realms of Wrath and Ruin, by Alli Earnest
The wreck of the Eudora Jayde and battle for the legendary Yalven Gate left Hallie Walker with nothing but nightmares and questions. Taking time off from University to heal doesn’t seem to help; it has only given her too much time to wonder who her parents really are and what secrets they’ve held about her lineage. So, when she receives a telegram from them urging her to return home, she jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, the only person she could convince to take her to Stoneset is dealing with problems of his own. Kase Shackley is in a tailspin. Wracked with guilt that he couldn’t save his brother, he does his best to lay low and hide. Unfortunately, being the son of the most powerful man in the country makes him an excellent candidate for blackmail. With his father blaming him for the death of his brother and the threat of his past sins coming to light, Kase has one choice: run. The only thing left for him to do is figure out how to tell Hallie he isn’t coming back.
Book Review: The Secret Shadow, by Bethany Atazadeh
Against all odds and at great cost, Jezebel has managed to keep her shape-shifting Gift a secret. With the disappearance of her father, Jezebel has become homeless, and Prince Shem invites her to become a resident of the castle and a member of his own personal council. Jezebel graciously accepts, however it becomes evident that the other members of the council do not want her there and will do anything to exclude or shame her, while the palace guards treat her with extreme suspicion. Jezebel determines she will do what it takes to prove to Prince Shem she is worthy of his appointment and her place in the palace, regardless of the other council member’s attempts to undermine her. But when another shifter breaks into the palace and lockdown ensues, Jezebel realizes she could easily be caught instead. In order to protect her secrets, new home, and budding relationship with Prince Shem, Jezebel must find a way to catch this new shifter and turn them in, or risk losing everything, including her life.
Book Review: Cities of Smoke and Starlight, by Alli Earnest
When Kase Shackley accepted responsibility for an accident that nearly killed a greenie pilot, he thought his family name would protect him.
He was wrong.
He didn’t expect the supreme commander of the military, his own father, to be the judge in his trial.
Now, in order to evade retribution and clear his name, he joins a secret mission to find and make an alliance with the Yalvs, a long lost indigenous culture whose riches, magic, and metals could save their country from war with the neighboring Cerulenes.
His mission is further complicated when he realizes the Yalven scholar hired for the trip is none other than Hallie Walker, a rude, insolent young woman who humiliated and slapped him at the theater days before.
But in order to save their country, Kase, Hallie, and their rag-tag airship strike team must learn to work together to locate the long lost Yalven capital before the Cerulenes, or they, along with their country, will die in the attempt.
The Marathon of First Pass Revisions
Congratulations! You’ve written your first manuscript. So...what the heck do you do now?
The Hero’s Journey: Death of the Mentor
This month, my writing mentor, David Farland, unexpectedly passed away. It's been really hard to work through because I think on some level I'm still in denial. It doesn't feel real, and I've struggled putting into words exactly what I've been feeling.
Book Review: The Blood of the Stars Duology, by Elizabeth Lim
Maia Tamarin is one of the best tailors of A’Landi, however no one would know it because she is a woman and the daughter of a once-renowned tailor plagued by misfortune and grief. When the imperial tailor dies, the emperor demands that her father come to the Summer Palace to tailor for him. Master Tamarin is unable to do so, and to save her family from punishment, Maia poses as her broken legged brother, Keton, to travel to the palace and become the imperial tailor. But when Maia arrives at the palace, she discovers she was not there to be the imperial tailor, but to compete for the post with the most renowned tailors in all of A’Landi where the final challenge is to embark on a dangerous quest to sew the powerful dresses of the goddess Amana.
Set Your Hook: Bad Beginnings and How to Fix Them
One of the best ways to stand out in the slush pile is through a good, solid hook. However, a poorly written hook is one of the quickest ways to get rejected. But why is that? Because first impressions are everything. Here is a guide to some of the five most common bad beginnings I saw and a couple of tips on what you can do to fix them to snag your audience hook, line, and sinker.
The Plotter's Apprentice 