by Stephanie Morrill | Jul 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
We’ve spent the last 7 months talking about the process for writing a novel, from the spark of idea to getting your commas right.Once upon a time I thought I would eventually find some magic system for writing a book. I’m a girl who loves to organize, and...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jul 11, 2011 | Uncategorized
Happy Monday everyone! Don’t forget – writing prompt entries are due today so make sure you get those into me. If you’ve already turned in your entry but haven’t heard back from me, I was out of town Thursday – Saturday, and I make a...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jul 8, 2011 | Uncategorized
As previously stated, grammar has always felt tricky to me. When Roseanna and I first started critting for each other, about half the edits she did on my manuscript were commas. There were so many that the poor thing wore out on typing “comma” in the...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jul 1, 2011 | Uncategorized
Today Jenny B. Jones is featuring me on her blog. I adore Jenny and her books, so it was a real honor to be invited. Click here to check it out. After you read about why I no longer want to meet celebrities, you can get yourself entered to win a copy of So Over It.In...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jun 29, 2011 | Uncategorized
For those who entered the writing prompt contest, we had 38 entries this round. Right now they’re with the judge who will pick the top 20. I should be able to post the top 20 tomorrow, so stay tuned for that.Also, I would like to state for the record that you...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jun 27, 2011 | Uncategorized
In the third draft – the sparkle draft -the time has come to be anal about your word choices. You want to tighten up your writing, and you want each word to be doing its job. This means writing in powerful verbs and nouns.Yes, I could tell you that “Tracy...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jun 24, 2011 | Uncategorized
Happy Friday everyone! Don’t forget writing prompts are due on Monday. Click here for details about this round’s prompt. Also, there’s still time to get yourself entered to win K. Dawn Byrd’s latest release.So. Editing.You’re in your...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jun 22, 2011 | Uncategorized
When I originally posted about the second draft, I mentioned four areas to keep an eye on as you did your read-through: Plot, Characters, Pacing, Theme/Symbolism. I originally thought I would need to do more in-depth posts on all those subjects. But I don’t have...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jun 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
The second draft is the ideal time to scrutinize your plot and make necessary changes.I find this to be the toughest part of editing because it often involves cutting huge chunks and rewriting. Rewrites are necessary to the process of crafting a good book, so grumble...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jun 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
I received this question from a writer, “It’s difficult for me to find what my main character wants… I only know what she wants internally, but I can’t figure out what she wants externally, and I’ve heard from many different sources that...
