How To Run Your Writing Career on an iPad
This past Christmas I got an iPad from my husband (as if I needed more reasons to love him). It wasn’t completely out of the blue because we’d been looking for a new computer I could use for my writing. I’d been working on a Dell laptop but after only three years, the thing was already ancient, running so slow I couldn’t accomplish anything and generally driving me insane. I needed an update badly. I don’t want to start a PC vs Mac debate here but I will say...
Read MoreWhy Character Archetypes Aren’t Just About Commercialism
Originally Posted on Hugs & Chocolate I’ve said it time and again but I’ll say it once more: I am a student of human nature. I’m sure, as writers, that’s something we all share. By ten years of age, I had already given up my seat at the kid’s table at family events to get involved in the gossip and philosophizing at the adult table. I soaked it all in, which is probably what drove me to write in the first place. My novels are a place for me to understand...
Read MoreWhy I Heart Scrivener for Outlining
As I prepared for National Novel Writing Month and completing the rewrite of my novel, I finally had to force myself to organize my thoughts. I had ideas littered throughout two drafts, three outlines, four notebooks, on a white board, in a couple of Scrivener files, and in emails I’d sent to myself…as well as the other random thoughts swimming in my head that I hadn’t yet had a chance to write down. Clearly this novel has changed (and hopefully grown) many times since I...
Read MoreIt Takes a Village
Originally posted on Hugs & Chocolate Back when storytelling first began, it took a community to write a tale. One person started it and told it to another, to groups over a fire. It got passed on to friends and family members, generation after generation. Each time the story met new ears, the telling got smoother. Each person augmented it with their own knowledge, improved it with their own experiences. And now, those timeless stories are the flawless fairytales and legends we know...
Read MoreLetting the Story Lead
Originally posted on Hugs & Chocolate In this age we live in, productivity is the name of the game. We take hold of our stories by the balls and get them written now, get them written right, and get them out the door. I don’t know about you, but to me, this is intimidating. I read blogs all the time about authors who write several books a year when I can barely finish one over two years. When writing that quickly, there seems to be so little time to let the story grow organically...
Read MoreChasing Plot Bunnies
Originally posted on Hugs & Chocolate For writers, ideas are prevalent when we open our minds to them. Every time we come into contact with another human being, watch a TV show or movie, read a book, or let our minds wander, ideas pour in whether we realize it or not. And for every story that is told, there are a thousand other ways it could have been told–a thousand more ideas. Sometimes I’ll even sit down with the intention of coming up with an idea that is unique (or as...
Read MoreWhat Kind of Writer Are You?
Originally posted on Hugs & Chocolate I’m in a place in my writing career where I’m spending a lot of time trying to understand exactly who I am as a writer. What genre do I write? Who is my audience? Am I writing to send a message or for entertainment? Maybe you’ve asked yourself these questions from time to time. I think we all have. But a couple of weeks ago, I came across a question I hadn’t even thought to ask. When setting my goals at the beginning of...
Read More1,000 Ideas in an Hour
My first order of business once I decided to focus on character building this year was to go online and shop for a character-building book. I am locationally challenged when it come to educational opportunities and right now, even an online class would be difficult to commit to. But writing craft books are great because I can pick them up whenever I have a few spare moments to get inspired. I had never heard of Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card before but the reviews on Amazon...
Read MoreSetting a Yearly Writing Craft Goal
A few weeks ago, Shonna Slayton of Routines for Writers posted a blog to review her yearly writing goals for 2011. Happily, she met a lot of her writing goals, which is more than I can say for myself. Looking back at my 2011 goals, the one thing I notice more than anything else is that my goals changed pretty quickly out of the gate. I feel like approaching this year a little differently. The way I’ve set goals in the past has been to break down my writing projects, figure out where I...
Read MoreResearching Story Locations
While preparing for the second draft of my WIP, I finally had to face the fact that my fantasy was about to become a reality. It was time to create timelines, fact check and do research to make sure all my ideas lined up with the possibilities of real life. I had a concern about the location of my story and whether or not it’s weather was in line with the ideas I had for my plot. Since I’ve only been to my story’s location once in my life, for just a few days (and while my...
Read MoreJamie Raintree
I write Women's Fiction, or what I like to call everyday fairytale love stories, appreciating the seemingly mundane moments in life that are truly magical. I am currently working on completing my first novel and until then, I post original fiction online. I live in Northern Colorado with my husband and two young daughters.
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