As most of you know, I am a big advocate of libraries and literacy. I think that libraries are the great equalizer in that everyone has access to the same knowledge and information, no matter what, when they hold a library card. So I do what I can to support libraries. Tomorrow I will be signing my books and participating in a silent auction to benefit the Pleasant Grove Library. If you are a literacy advocate and want to help, I hope you'll join me!Multi-author Book Signing & Silent Auction (Proceeds to benefit...
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Monday, 30 July 2012
I've been working on my acknowledgment page today and I have to say every time I do one of these it makes me feel very humble.You see, there are so many people that help me make my books the very best they can be. Editors, beta readers, critique partners, people that helped me with research, and always, always, my family. The hard part is I'm always afraid I'm going to forget someone. Each time I get to this point I think, boy, I wish I would have kept a running list. Next time I will. And that's what I'm saying again. I...
Friday, 27 July 2012
So, since we had an opening, I thought I'd submit my own first page to First Page Friday. Angela and Heidi critiqued it thoroughly. I learned so much and appreciate all their hard work. I hope there's something in this that you can learn from as well. If you would like your first page critiqued, please submit it double-spaced 12 pt font to juliecoulterbellon@gmail.com with First Page Friday in the subject line. See you next week!The EntryAll Fall Downby Julie Coulter BellonSomething was wrong. He could feel it¾the...
Thursday, 26 July 2012
I was reading Jordan McCollum's blog post about the overuse of gesture crutches (you can read it here) and I decided to see if I was guilty of this myself. Do I use a lot of sighing, shrugging, and nodding for my character gestures?Shockingly, I do. So I've been going through my manuscript (using the Find function) and deleting all the shrugging and nodding and whatnot and using more vivid gestures that can give my characters and story more dimension. It's been a lot harder than I thought, but the more I've practiced and thought of...
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
I've been working like a crazy person with every spare moment I have during the day and I am happy to tell you that I have finished editing the first 120 pages of my manuscript. Woohoo! All the critiques, the beta comments, editorial suggestions and my own readings have all culminated in a thoroughly edited first half of the book. It feels good! Only one more half to go. We're on the downslide. *pats self on back*How did you do this we...
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
First of all, Happy Pioneer Day! (And I'm glad I'm not a pioneer. Indoor plumbing, refrigeration, and air conditioning and everything else I'm spoiled with.) But I'm grateful for them and their sacrifice. Three of my boys are currently on a pioneer trek in Wyoming and I know this will be an incredible experience for them. Hard, yet amazing. So, hurrah for the pioneers! Since I haven't had a lot of time to read lately, I thought I'd pass along to you some of the ebook deals I've been taking advantage...
Monday, 23 July 2012
Yesterday my friend was telling me about how she was cleaning out her older son's room (who had just left on an LDS mission) and her daughter was helping her. The daughter is deathly afraid of spiders and there were some dead ones along the baseboards (they were in a basement bedroom). My friend asked her daughter to vacuum up the dead spiders while she finished packing up some things. The daughter said she couldn't do it, she was too afraid. And my friend said, "Honey, your brother (that just moved out) is doing something...
Friday, 20 July 2012
Since we did a post getting to know editor Angela Eschler better, I thought it would be fun for us to get to know Ms. Shreditor better, too! As someone who greatly admires her both as an editor and a person, I was glad she agreed to an interview.How did you get into editing? Did it always come naturally to you? I knew from a fairly young age that I wanted to edit. Language has always been my strength, and I’ve always had a sixth sense for awkward syntax (even if it’s correct on a technical level) and misspellings. I also pick up foreign...
Thursday, 19 July 2012
I've been analyzing my writing process and I thought it might be fun to share it with you and see how it compares to your writing process. (Yeah, I know, I think about weird things, but I'm a writer, what can I say?)First, I get out my writer's notebook. I write a sentence or two for each chapter as to what is going to happen in that chapter. For example:Chapter One: We meet Rafe and he becomes a "hostage." Gary the HT has a super-secret file and a bomb.Chapter Two: We meet Claire, the hostage negotiator. Goes...
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
I'm editing a very emotional scene today that I really want to get right. So far, I've cut five pages, put them back in, then cut two. Now I'm thinking I should just re-write the whole thing. Or go for a walk and clear my head.Speaking of walking, remember when I told you that when I started JumpStartWriMo I started walking again because walking always helps my creative flow? I'm up to two miles a day now and I've lost eight pounds. And, honestly, I think my manuscript is the better for it, too, because most of my...
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
So you all know that I'm in an editing marathon/crunch right now and things are going great/horrible. I've become quite adept at motivating myself for the times when I don't want to sit in the chair and look at the incredible/silly writing that I've put on the page. One way is when I've edited a chapter I get to reward myself by watching a Scarecrow and Mrs. King episode. If you don't recognize that show, it was a spy show in the 80s about a suburban housewife named Amanda King (played by Kate Jackson) who gets tangled up with...
Monday, 16 July 2012
Well, I'm back to the grindstone today, doing a few more edits. I have critique group this week so I want to be prepared. Unfortunately, I need a little extra motivation today. I'm just not feeling super-thrilled about editing for some reason. I know, it's a shocker, isn't it.So, in order to get in the mood, I've got my playlist, and I pulled out my lucky shirt. It's a ratty old shirt, but for some reason, I've done my best writing while wearing it and today I need it's magic.Do you have a lucky writing shirt? Writing...
Friday, 13 July 2012
Well, since it's Friday the 13th, this is either a scary post or a lucky one. I'll go for lucky. Thank you so much to both the submitter and the editor who go to such effort to help us all learn and improve in our writing.The EntryHappyby AnonymousMy mom was driving me to my dad’s house in Michigan. I am going to live there with him for the rest of high school because my mom married a man who’s job had made him move around a lot and she wants me to have a more stable life. So here I am, on my way to some boring state that...
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Today I am hunkered down working on these final edits. I have babysitters set for my children, power snacks ready for me, and I think I'm ready. For me, I plan my edits. I work on them on the computer, then I print out and read, then I read aloud, then I go back and make the changes on the computer. Different layers and details always come to me during edits and when I add things, I always have to go through and read one more time. Of course I won't catch all my typos and mistakes and that's why I'm so grateful for alpha readers....
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
It's crunch time for me. I'm doing final edits on this puppy and I'm really excited about where it's going. We had a glitch earlier this week with making sure things were tight and snappy, but I think I've got a handle on it. My word count wasn't great because I was mostly deleting and smoothing, but I'm happy with where I'm at and the direction I'm going in.How did you do with your goals this we...
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
So, as you all know, I am elbow deep in edits and there may or may not have been some cursing and crying going on. Of course the cursing was my special brand of non-cursing because well, I'm not a fan of profanity. But sometimes, the situation calls for a freakin' flippin' oh my heck. (And if you are offended by non-curse words I apologize right now. Do not read on. Or click on the video.)Remember how yesterday I told you I had to take out a character and a storyline? This is how that went. Picture me, sitting...
Monday, 9 July 2012
When I was in junior high and high school, I always found science fascinating---especially when we were dissecting worms, frogs, cow eyes, and the like. When I went to university, I took a Zoology course where we dissected a human body. It was probably one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken in my life and I still remember a lot of the things I learned because I wasn't just talking about the nerve system or respiratory system, I was looking at it and touching it. I was constantly amazed at the human body and the way...
Friday, 6 July 2012
I can't believe it's Friday already! Remember, if you or your friends would like a critique from a national editor, please submit your double-spaced first page to juliecoulterbellon@gmail.com with First Page Friday in the subject line. We've got two openings in July, so let your friends know!The EntryThe Lost Kingdomby Kris EllsworthThere was once an old land where kings and queens reigned and magical creatures lived among mankind. In one of the most beautiful and fertile lands near a mighty forest, a small village thrived along a wide...
Thursday, 5 July 2012
My city fireworks are always interesting. Each year, usually a tree or grass have been started on fire. One year, the cannon fell over and shot fireworks into the crowd. Needless to say, going to this particular celebration always keeps me on my toes. When we got there last night, they had the crowd set quite far back from the firing area and we put down our blankets, interested to see how this year would go. For safety purposes, we sat a little closer to the exit than we have in years past. The show started and within moments...
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
It's the 4th of July! Hooray! My entire family will be home today for a barbeque. It makes me so grateful to live in a country where we can gather any time we want, with plenty of food, can have any discussion we want, and have the freedom and responsibility of citizenship in this wonderful country. I heard a speech given by John Wayne and he talked about the million reasons he loves the USA. I think I could count a...
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Monday, 2 July 2012
Remember how I was having such a hard day on Saturday? (I was sick). Well, today has been such a wonderful day. I just saw the cover for my book that's coming out in the fall. It is GORGEOUS! I can't wait to show you the finished product.So, I was having a conversation with some friends of mine over the weekend about what is acceptable to be shown as love scenes in clean romantic suspense books. As you all know, I had someone object to a kiss in one of my books because they thought it lingered too long. I...
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