Post conference bookapalooza

The Lines and Letters Conference organized by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI this past weekend provided a time of recharging for me. My mind has been provoked and opened and challenged. I'll do a quick recap soon but for now, here is the list of books I am going to read as a result of recommendations:

 











Have you read all/any of these? Any thoughts? Favorite passages? Most unforgettable characters?

Escaped the claws

This is just a short post to report that I did finish my manuscript for my critique group and now I am working hard on the revision. 

The most eye-opening result of this little exercise is this: the reason I had so much trouble finishing up the manuscript is that I had been trying to write two stories into one. Too many relationships were left shallow, several characters left single-dimensional, and most important of all, each of the main character had to nip/tuck their stories to fit the other's.

I have to say that the realization not only made a lot of sense but brought a degree of calmness. I have restarted the novel focused on only one of the two original protagonists--assuring the other that I will come back to her another day for her very own story--and find that my mind feels less cluttered and distracted.

I'm on Chapter 5 and I have a good feeling about this. 

Read it, Maybe

Yes, it's a cheesy parody, but it's fun. 

Also, did you notice I inserted a comma in the title?