A Peek at a Developmental Editor’s Story Outline

I’m a developmental (content) editor, but I’m also a writer. Lately the plot bunnies have been hitting me right and left.

Book Signing with Marissa Meyer, How Books Make Us Reflect on Our Own Process

Last, last weekend on September 29th, I went to see Marissa Meyer during her Fierce Reads Tour, and I was so excited to meet her!!

I’m not sure what kind of coincidence the universe was playing on me, but I recently discovered Marissa’s books around the same time she was due to stop in at a local bookstore near me.

No need to mention that I greedily blew through her first two books in the Lunar Chronicles series days before the book signing.

3 Ways to Reveal Character Without Sacrificing Conflict

Often revealing character can feel like you’re showing your poker hand prematurely and it’s especially difficult to balance when the plot is character driven (meaning the primary conflict comes from within the protagonist). So how do we help readers understand our characters if our characters are unwilling to share or if sharing runs the risk of weakening conflict?

On Writing: How to Find Conflict in Your Story

When I was in middle school, we had an assignment in our English class to read a book and give a ten-minute speech about it at the front of the classroom. *gulp*

I absolutely hated talking in front of groups of people, even small groups. I was not only socially awkward, but an extreme introvert with a side of nervousness—the kind of nervousness that makes me lightheaded. I used to think that if I stood very still, like using a reptilian defense mechanism, people’s attention would pass over me (and I could slowly back out of the room).

On Editing: What Exactly Does a Developmental Editor Do?

Sometimes it’s hard to sober up after that wild night of writing! I guest blogged over at Fight For Your Write about the importance of developmental editing and how writers can get organized when they go to revise their manuscripts.