In 2011, I stopped writing fiction. I'd researched, outlined, and plotted my way into hating my writing process. My thin skin and the rejection letters didn't help, either. But in 2014, I discovered Wattpad.
Inspiring Words for Writers
The day-to-day grind of completing a book can sometimes leave me little time or energy for seeking inspiration. But now, in the lovely lull between books, finding and absorbing inspiration is an imperative -- especially as my brain turns from "creating" to "marketing", which can be such an oppressive process.
Here are some of the recent books and articles I've discovered to me keep focused on how lucky I am to be a writer.
What to Ask An Agent Before You Sign
What I Learned In The 7 Years Between Completing Novels
In 2011, I finished a book. I sweated over it, I celebrated it, I won a contest with it, and then, when I received, like, eight rejections for it (I'm not kidding), I threw it under the proverbial bed and declared that I was done with fiction writing.
Now, seven years later, after starting a successful freelance business that forced me to write quickly and daily, after discovering the joys of writing serially to enthusiastic fans on Wattpad, and after completing a 50,000-word fanfic and a short story that I'm incredibly proud of, I've completed another book.
Everything has changed about the world of romance fiction since 2011. Fortunately, everything about how I write has changed, too.
Enjoy Dazzling Jewels and Dresses at the Hillwood Estate
Marjorie Merriweather Post was the owner of the Postum Cereal Company and one of the richest women in the United States before her death in 1973. She also was a renowned collector -- her beautiful Georgian home in the midst of 25 acres of trees and gardens in Northwest D.C. is the museum she left for all of us to enjoy her French and Russian Imperial decorative arts collection.
8 Podcasts to Distract You From the End of the World
Drinking and Dining at District Winery
A Taste of Vegas at the MGM National Harbor
MGM National Harbor, with its silver tower glittering over the Potomac and viewable from Alexandria, is not a cheap place to spend the evening. But if you're looking for a bit of the service, sophistication, and unapologetic adult decadence that Vegas offers without the plane flight, MGM National Harbor is an worthy substitute.
