Writing

When Nothing Works

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by Guest Blogger Erin McCole Cupp

The beginning of another school year approached, and I was scared.  Even with the slowed-down summer schedule, I was not making any headway with my next book. There was virtually no time in which to really write, and when I did get a moment to steal, nothing I wrote worked, because I hadn’t had any time to let the story form in my head so it could flow onto the page.  Where on earth was I going to get the time to have a chance at success?

I went to my writing network’s Facebook page and asked for advice.

“Wake up one hour earlier than your kids do.”

Silly me, already waking up two hours before they did.

“Make family creative time a habitual part of your day! Everyone is working on something.”

When the youngest family member’s idea of “creative” is either decorating her walls with nail polish or asking busy people incessant questions?

“Just do whatever works!”

I didn’t type the words, but I wanted to reply, “BUT NOTHING WORKS!” Continue reading →

Do the Next Thing God Asks You to Do

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by Guest Blogger Billie Jauss

Over my life, which at this point has spanned nearly half a century, I have taken on many roles. I grew up the baby of a large, blended family. At a young age, I knew I wanted to be a nurse and fulfilled that dream when I graduated from college and landed my dream job as a critical care nurse. Then the role as wife and mother took over my full-time gig as a nurse. My hubby is a Major League Baseball coach, so for 29 seasons I have been a baseball wife. However, no role ever confused me as much as the role I find myself entering in my empty nest. A writer. Continue reading →

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Myths About Authors

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Some people have fixed ideas about authors: how they do what they do, what they enjoy, all their quirks and idiosyncrasies. In truth, authors and writers are at least as varied as those in any other profession, maybe more so. They are as varied as the topics about which they write. So, here’s my Top 10 author myths. (My apologies to anyone else’s list exposing author myths that I may have internalized over the years.

    1. The cozy writing nook. Creation requires the proper writer environment: a pen and ink at an antique roll top desk overlooking a flowering meadow or forest where woodland creatures peaceably come and go. Or maybe a modern in-home office in which the walls are bedecked with inspiration, awards, and a bulletin board for notes and plotting. While those sound lovely, a writer’s “office” may be a laptop on the couch or the dining room table. Maybe a closet/office. Maybe a bound journal and a sturdy pen. (I write on a laptop at the dining room table.)

      Where I write

      My work station. Note toys surrounding the computer.

Continue reading →

Small Success Thursday

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Small Success Thursday

Why small success? Because that’s the only kind I know! Even the big ones come in small steps. Here’s my paltry offering for the week:

  1. Successfully completed the 5K Challenge – Let’s start with the big one, shall we? This personal challenge, hosted by the 10 Minute Novelists (recently names by Writer’s Digest as one of the Top 100 Sites for Writers), requires running/walking 5K and writing 5,000 words over a 24-hour period of your choosing during the weekend event. At first, I thought I had the whole weekend to accomplish the goal. Easy peasy. But then I realized I only had twenty-fours, several of which – at least – during which I would need to sleep. Continue reading →

Guest Post: Review of The Truth and Nothing But Lies

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CatholicFiction.net

Review of The Truth and Nothing But Lies by Cheri Vausé (December, 2015)

“The Truth and Nothing But Lies is an engaging tale that could be ripped from the headlines if only the media delved so deeply. Its intricate plot and suspense hold attention and draw the reader to the end. Its greatest value, however, lies in its plain demonstration of the dire consequences of all-too-familiar actions cloaked in euphemisms of sexual liberation and freedom to choose.”

Guest Post: Review of The Three Most Wanted

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CatholicFiction.net

Review of The Three Most Wanted by Corinna Turner (September, 2015)

“Through their encounters with would-be allies, Margo and Bane reflect on the consequences of making a deal with “the devil” and whether the ends ever justify the means. If it’s never okay to cooperate with evil, when is cooperation with those who commit evil acts (even for good ends) allowable? Even advisable?”

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Reasons I Love My Kindle

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When my husband surprised me with a Kindle for Christmas four years ago, I wasn’t sure that I’d like it. I enjoy holding a book in my hands, examining the color cover, and feeling the pages glide between my fingers. But, grateful for his thoughtful gift, I tested it out. And I became hooked. Here’s what I love about my Kindle.

  1. The dictionary feature. I love the ability to look up a word with a single tap. I don’t need to set my book down and go for the dictionary–either in hardcover or online. It’s  undoubtedly helped expand my vocabulary and enabled me to grasp the precise meaning of words.
  2. The ability to prop it on a window sill. I carefully prop my Kindle on the window sill above the kitchen sink, which allows me to read while washing dishes. With six people, no automatic dishwasher, and  meals cooked from scratch, I often have a double sink filled with dishes. Reading makes the task more pleasant.reader with bookends

    3. Continue reading →