Bo watching the dog show. Nothing to do with writing. It just makes me happy. 😆

February 5, 2018:    My wish is to grow as a writer. With every blog I read, every revision from an editor, every rejection from a publisher − these are all opportunities for improvement. In my last revision (BLOOD MONEY - due out sometime in 2018), I learned not all editors appreciate the MC talking to herself. I received the same bit of advice through a rejection of my YA story about abuse. A few words, here or there, work; but telling the story through the MC’s thoughts does not work. Instead, my editor suggested I write the sentence in past tense about her. So ‘not everyone cares what I think, I guess’; becomes ‘not everyone cared about her opinion, apparently.’

There are some helpful blogs out there to aid you in your quest to be a better writer. Unfortunately, you might need to wade through some mediocre ones before you find the jewels. When you find one dedicated to helping writers become better writers, you’re in luck. Take Nancy Kelly Allen’s blog (http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com); her purpose is to provide tips to writers and those who teach writing. I recommend this blog because I can speak personally about how it has helped me. Anything that helps me grow as a writer, I’m going back for more.

Parting words: revise, revise, and revise some more − then put your manuscript up for a week or so. Look at it once more with fresh eyes before you ship it off to a publisher.