I will begin with an apology. I did not intend to walk into the bookstore and blurt out the words, “Holy shit!”READ MORE
Yesterday, I took a class at the Loft Literary Center taught by the powerhouse writer/instructor Mary Carroll Moore. Mary packed the day with ideas and information on honing craft skills. READ MORE
September has been a month of polishing: polishing the proposal, polishing the first chapters of the manuscript. I’m even enrolled in a class called “Punch & Polish” at the Loft Literary Center.
Over the weekend I finished reading the book ‘Alex’s Wake.’ It was one of those books that started with a slow drip, but ended with a wave of sadness so enormous it was impossible to hold back tears.
Yesterday, I attended an eight-hour class at the LOFT Literary Center in Minneapolis. The topic was style and grammar in non-fiction and it was taught by the phenomenal Jill Swenson; her energy and enthusiasm were contagious.
Last week, I had the pleasure of having coffee with White Bear Lake author David LaRochelle. He primarily writes children’s books, so our genres couldn’t be more different. But he has a 20+ year career as an author, and I had questions only an industry veteran would be able to answer.
I feel blessed to know some brilliant writers/readers who have been beta reading parts of the manuscript. They have pointed out parts that felt weak or wordy, and other parts that made them laugh and cry. Once something has been revised and edited, oh, say, 30 times, it’s nearly impossible to be objective. So, thank you, thank you!