Posts
I’m a BLABer Mouth!
Yes, it’s true! I’ve started Blabbing and I love it. My partner, Ron Estrada and I host our Teen Writers Publish Podcast LIVE almost every Saturday. If you’ve never seen it, check out the Blab Podcast below!
To Prove or Improve Your Writing?
My latest manuscript is what agents call “dead.” That means every major CBA publisher has rejected it. Sure, some called it “charming” and rejected it because they’ve already acquired a modern-day princess story while others claimed to want to work with me if only they had openings in their fiction lines. But that doesn’t change…
How To Write a Simple Summary
When I first query an editor with an story idea, I break it down into a few simple parts. A summary is not an overview of the entire novel, but rather a summary that will hopefully hook the editor into wanted to know more. This type of summary can be used on a One-Sheet (popular at…
Avoid Comma Drama
Punctuation, blech! Yes, I know, but it’s not as bad as grammar—a subject we’ll tackle another time. In my craft blog today, I’ll share a few simple comma guidelines. And I do mean simple! Okay, now that you’re wiping the sweat from your brow, let’s go. Introducing: The Comma That little flip on the page…
My Best Writng Advice
Early on in my writing journey, my quest for publication, I received a bit of advice that at first I balked but now, in clear hindsight, value more than any other counsel I was offered. I was never a big reader. In school I skimmed, jumped, skipped, and trotted through books, pulling out the highlights…
New House, New Life, New Post
If you’re still reading my blog or have stumbled upon it, this is my first post in a long time. So many life changes going on in the last three years I don’t have time to get into it all and the changes are not over. Which is probably a good thing because life without…
Do You Struggle with Procrastination?
Hello, my name is Julie, and I’m a procrastinator. Procrastination something that I struggle with often. I have a short attention span, which isn’t helpful when you’re writing novels. I’m the mom of a four-year-old and have a full-time job. If I procrastinate, I’m not going to get it all done. It has forced me…
The Power of Love Stories
When my first romance novel released in 2010, I took it to a local Christian bookstore only to have the older gentleman in charge tell me that Christians shouldn’t read romance. We should only read about stuff that will change our world, like politics. My first reaction was to feel sorry for his wife. But…
I Do My Best Writing in the Shower
The key to a more productive writing life, for me, may be an increase of distractions. I’m not kidding. I can sit down in a quiet house, long hours stretched before me, all allocated beautifully (according to my DayTimer) for writing. Nothing happens. My fingers idly tap the desk. I take another sip of coffee…
The Importance of Character Arcs and Outlining
By Ron Estrada For some time now, Super G and I have been engaged in a bloody battle to the death* over whether or not we should plot and outline our novels before typing “Chapter 1.” I have now written 4 novels, mostly with the SOP method. Oh, there were notes and I had a…