Write Here, Write Now

This post comes with a warning - it isn't very fitting with my usual sunny vibe - but I'm hoping that taking the time to unload this crap from my head will help me feel better and back to normal in no time! So, you may have noticed I've been ... not away, but not as present as usual. Last week, I turned 30. Yeah, I know, no big deal, right? And it's not, I am a firm believer that age is just a number. But saying goodbye to my twenties hit me pretty hard. I am feeling the first stirrings of failure because I can't afford to live alone, I don't have the things most other people my age have, and I'm not sure where it went wrong. What happened? How am I THAT girl? When I first read Bridget Jones' Diary, I thought it was the funniest thing ever - but now I am at that age ... well, it's not so funny lol. Then there's the writing thing. I always wanted to write. I always WANT to write. But lately, I am plagued by this nagging doubt telling me I suck...

Recently, I have become fascinated by reading reviews on Goodreads. Not just for my own books, but reviews on books I loved, and books I wasn't crazy about. It never fails to astonish me how different people's opinions can be. But what I don't get are ratings that don't entirely match up to the review. One thing I've seen over and over is people who made a point to comment that they loved someone's writing style, but were so annoyed by the characters, they only gave one or two stars overall. It got me wondering - what is the biggest factor that makes people decide to give a bad rating? For me, not understanding or liking a character is not a good enough reason. I recently read a book in which I didn't feel any connection to the main characters, and one of them I outright HATED. However, even though I wasn't crazy about the people in the book, I  enjoyed the story, and the writing was excellent. Reasons I dislike books include draggy plots, masses o...

Happy IWSG Day! This genius idea created by Alex J. Cavanaugh is a place for all of us insecure writers to gather together to talk about our worries, and cheer each other on. Check out the full list of participants here ! Think right now about your favourite writers. How do you feel when you know they have a new book being released? It's usually something like, "HURRY UP, I CAN'T WAIT ANYMORE!" right? And also, think about when one of your super talented blog buddies announces they've got a book coming out soon. That is even more exciting because it's someone you know, someone you may have seen struggling to reach their goal of publication. Someone you've seen go through the rough times, and have finally made it to where they want to be. I can tell you that when Jolene Perry, or Nyrae Dawn announce a book release - I bounce up and down like a crazy person! These two awesome ladies are writers I absolutely adore for their ability to write so natural...

I am having a mini nervous breakdown trying to understand the tax information for non U.S publishers on Amazon. Is there anyone out there who has dealt with it who can give me an idiot's guide to what it all means please? Is it as complicated as it looks, or am I just really, really stupid? LOL! Any help would be muchly appreciated, thanks1

My plan for the A - Z Challenge is to write every post as if it were a diary entry by a character from my WIP. Today's post comes from Will Carter. ** Isn't it weird when someone from your past unexpectedly makes contact? Yesterday, I got an email from my ex-girlfriend, Heather. We dated in high school, and through a little bit of college until we realised being far away from each other wasn't going to work out. We both met other people, we lost contact, and I haven't seen her in fourteen years. She's been living in Seattle, but she's moving back to L.A because she's just got divorced, and she was curious to know if I still live here. I think she wants to meet up when she gets back in month or two. I don't know how I feel about that. She was my first love, so it's weird to think about seeing her again. I haven't even thought about her in a long time. I hope she doesn't want to give things another try because going backwards is always...

My plan for the A - Z Challenge is to write every post as if it were a diary entry by a character from my WIP. Today's post comes from Jesse Shaw. ** I know it's pretty uncool for a guy to openly talk about being in love, but I'm okay with that because my girlfriend is worth me looking uncool for. I met Taylor when I was new to Westberg. I was so nervous about messing up my soccer career before it had really begun, I used to get to work early and sit in the cafe opposite the training ground, drinking soda and forcing myself to relax.  Taylor was there some mornings. I noticed her because, well, what 18-year-old doesn't notice when there's a pretty girl in the room? Pretty isn't really the right word. She's beautiful. She started talking to me, asking me why I always looked so nervous and when I explained, she was so sweet. She knew all the right things to say to make me feel better, and I looked forward to seeing her every day. When I eventually as...

It's time for my first IWSG post! If you haven't heard of it before, it's a bloghop hosted by Alex Cavanaugh, which allows writers to vent about things are troubling us, and to support others who are struggling! There is a link in my sidebar, so if you scroll down, click on the IWSG image, and it will take you to all the details! My insecurity at the moment has to do with a lack of ... something ...  in my writing. People who have read my work often comment on how real my characters feel, and how the emotion shines through, and that makes me happy. My writing is usually character-centric, so I guess I am doing that part right. However, I am editing my WIP at the moment, and there are places where I feel that something is missing. I recently discovered (and I don't know if this is true for everyone, or just me) that if I am struggling to write a scene, it's because it probably doesn't need to be included. But some of the scenes I have are necessary, but th...

If you have been following my blog in the short time I have been writing it, you may be familiar with me struggling over the opening of my WIP. I have stared at it, re-written it, stared at it some more, put it back how it was, changed it again, moved on, been satisfied, then hated it again. I don't know if I am alone in this struggle, or if every writer fights with their opening chapter this way, but it has been a nightmare! But then something, well someone, wonderful happened. Angela Cothran , to be precise. Angela uttered some magic words, and after a moment of tearing my hair out in panic that maybe my WIP was going nowhere, I really thought about what she'd said. And the solution became clear. The downside of this revelation is that there are 5000 useless words at the start of the story. That's a hell of a number of wasted words. On the other hand, they probably aren't all a waste. Some can even be moved around to fit in a better, and less boring place. What ...

I promise not to make a habit out of posting twice in one day, but I am excited by McKenzie McCann's blog , in which she is celebrating a year of blogging, and giving away an award! Congrats to McKenzie on all of your success! I am new to your blog, but I always love to hear what you have to say. I think everyone should go check it out! Also, earlier I mentioned self publishing, and my brain has gone into overdrive, wondering about strange and tiny things. For example, my story is centered around a fictional soccer team. When I was just writing it for me, that was one thing, but I'm not sure how it works if I want other people to see it. Is it okay to create fictional football teams in a real place, or do I need to make up a fictional city too? And can I pretend the team is part of a genuine football league and mention real teams, or do I have to create everything myself? I know that is a bit rambly, and slightly desperate sounding (lol), but they are things I don't act...

Pick up any published book, and you'll probably find that somewhere, there is a love story in it. It might not always be central to the plot, but love is nearly always present. The same theme is also present in TV shows. Romantic relationships are a part of everyone's lives at some time or another, so it is something everyone can relate to. The problem with love stories is that they tend to follow the same format. A man and a woman meet, they fall in love, there is drama and they break up, they get back together. Occasionally something crazy and unusual will happen, but for the most part - every love story is the same. Does this make them bad? I don't think so. I am a "chick-lit" writer. Maybe some people wouldn't admit that so boldly, because I have come across some snobbery when I've mentioned it in the past, but if I can reach the success of Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding, I'll be pretty happy lol! However, while playing arou...