2021 NaNoWrap-Up and an Interview

We've made it to another weekend! If your December is like mine, it's flying by in great leaps. Before it gets away from me completely, today I'm taking a moment to pause and update you on the results of November's NaNoWriMo challenge and to share a lovely opportunity I had to visit another writer's blog.…

An Interview and a Review

I'd like to direct you to a couple of other authors' sites today! Author Dennis L. Peterson kindly invited me over to his blog for an interview. The first part of it is live today! Here's the link if you'd like to check it out and hear my thoughts on juggling this momming/teaching/writing life and…

Guest Post by JPC Allen: When a Character Turns into a Problem Child

Welcome to another November weekend, and another excellent guest post! Today, author JPC Allen shares her thoughts on the challenge of working with characters who simply refuse to behave themselves. (Who knew fictional people we invent could be so ornery?!) I hope you enjoy her thoughts on this topic as much as I did! -Anne…

It’s Launch Day!

Photo by Kyle Hinkson on Unsplash It's launch day! My novel Where Shall I Flee? is officially available for purchase on Amazon as a paperback, e-book, or via Kindle Unlimited. If you've already pre-ordered an e-book, it should be delivered to you today. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped and encouraged me through this process,…

Whaddya Mean You Don’t Like My Protagonist?!

I'm on the verge of launching a new story, which means introducing new protagonists and hoping they "play well" together. While their personalities are different than the characters from my first book, (i.e. the characters this post was about when I wrote it a few years ago) the lessons are essentially the same. I hope…

Three Questions To Ask When Choosing Your Research Sources

Hello Readers and Writers! Today, I'm revisiting and refreshing a post from 3 years ago. In a period where news stories diverge widely depending on where they come from and even Facebook (that authoritative pinnacle of reliable information) is busy "fact-checking,"  exploring the reliability of sources isn't just for writers—though it's still awfully important for us! I…

“NaNoWriffic” May Have Been An Exaggeration

Now that December's halfway over, I suppose I can take a minute to stop chasing down students for missing homework (all this teacher wants for Christmas is a nice, tidy gradebook!) and give an update on my November Nanowrimo goals. Update may not be the best word—it's more of a confession. For those who are…

A NaNoWriffic November’s Ahead

November's lurking just around the corner, cracking its knuckles and waiting to pounce. A little melodramatic? Maybe. But I can't help viewing the turning of the calendar page with some trepidation. Between school and home, September and October have gone by in a whirlwind— momming and teaching and correcting and cooking and driving and writing…

November’s “NaNoWriMo” Challenge, and Why I’m Likely Going to be Wearing a Silly Costume in December

It's November, and that means it's time for NaNoWriMo! This tongue-twisting acronym stands for "National Novel Writing Month." Every November, authors around the world challenge themselves to complete a novel (or at least 50,000 words of one!) in 30 days. This is my second year participating in the challenge, because naturally, with a new, extra-busy…

Anne’s “Do” and “Do NOT” List For That Story You’re Thinking About Publishing

Writing a story is one thing. Writing it for other people to read- well, that's a whole different ballgame, isn't it? Writing, editing, editing some more, rewriting, editing, choosing a publishing venue, editing, formatting and cover design, and a few more rounds of editing- getting a book to a point where it can be called…