The sea called to her. It was but a whisper, the waves receding before their next peak, a song that continued, rising and falling, rising and falling. Her people had danced to it since the dawn of time. They had only forgotten in recent memory. But it was still a … Continue reading →

Boone could still remember the day the sky broke. And thus began the story of our gunslinger and the crew of the pirate ship he happened to find himself traveling with. If any of this sounds familiar to my longtime readers, it’s because some of it is based the novel … Continue reading →

Tonight, I was frantically searching for my copy of No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty, the founder of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It has become a bit of a security blanket for me during the month of November. I couldn’t find it. I cannot remember if I lent … Continue reading →

Tonight, we will drink mead from the skulls of our enemies. We will roast their entrails upon our fires. Warriors, we were victorious in our battle. So, eat and drink your fill. Stumble to bed, nestle in next to your wives if they’ll have you — the lot of you … Continue reading →

Moments ago, I earned the 21 Days badge for updating my National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) word count for three weeks straight. Tonight, I hit 38,875 words of the challenge that calls for writing 50,000 words of a novel manuscript in a single month. At this point, I am well … Continue reading →

I can hardly believe that it has been two weeks since I decided to jump into National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) once again. November is always a busy month for me, and this year is busier than ever. Besides the normal holiday events, I am hosting a kind-of-sort-of family/friend shindig … Continue reading →

Call me crazy. With as much as I have going on in November, I decided that I would pile 30 days of writing toward a 50,000-word novel draft on top of the load. Yes, I am participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) once again. I made a promise to … Continue reading →

I’ve been getting the itch again. For the better part of this year, I’ve been looking forward to tackling National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) once again this November. I’ve been running over plot scenarios in my head for months. I even took the time to write a few down. After … Continue reading →

Want to plan, draft, and revise a novel in five days? That’s exactly what Scott King did. And, he outlined his journey in The Five Day Novel. Over the years, I’ve grown a small collection of writing books. Not many. Just enough to remind myself that I need to keep … Continue reading →

Small ripples flow toward my chair at the edge of the lake, the aftershock of ducks playing across the way. They’re getting their morning bath in the cool water. I tug the plaid afghan tighter around my shoulders while waiting for the morning sun to breathe warmth across eastern side … Continue reading →