Welcome back to part two of four on “writing with a day job,” or writing for busy people. Whether you’ve got a non-creative or creative fulltime gig, you’re a freelancer seeking to make a living while working on your novels, or a parent with a novelists’ dream, you’ve come to the right place. Two weeks …
Tag: writing process
Writing with a Day Job: Productivity
I long for a time where I can be a full-time writer. Anyone else? Instead, I’m what some might label a “Midnight Novelist.” (Well, really more of a “Lunch Break Novelist”—I don’t have the stamina to stay up late after a long day of work.) Or, as I like to call it, a Writer with …
Patience, Persistence, and Practicality: Initial Thoughts from Pitching The Queen of Whitman Court
I entered into 2022 with high hopes: it’s time to pitch my novel, The Queen of Whitman Court! I planned to dive right into it, sending out letters left and right and every which way to any editor or agent who might possibly give me a chance— But if you’ve been following along with my …
April 2022 Writing Update: Secret Project, SCBWI Conference, and More!
I’ve got a lot of ground to cover with this overdue writing update, so let’s dive right in! There’s a lot going on with my writing projects, plus I attended a regional conference with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) last weekend! Writing Updates: The Queen of Whitman Court: Back in March, …
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Rereading the Tolkien Canon (The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, & The Lord of the Rings)
It had been a while since I last read The Lord of the Rings—just about four and a half years, to be exact. Same with The Hobbit. And, to be honest, I couldn’t give a timeline on when I last read The Silmarillion; I just know it was sometime in high school. Since I’ve been …
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The End: Writing Farewells & Finales
I’ll admit, I’ve written more beginnings than endings, to the point that I’m tempted to say that writing the first chapter of a book is significantly harder than writing the last. I don’t necessarily disagree with that statement—I myself struggle most with how to best start a book—yet I do certainly think that a misstep …
How Our Company of Fools Changed My Writing
Fueled by an explosion of inspiration and angst, I wrote Our Company of Fools at the beginning of January 2016. I’d never written a book of that length that quickly. I’d never written a more personally emotional book. I never wrestled so much with a story through the ebbs and flows of editing and revision. …
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Fools Friday: Failed Sequels
Oh boy. Today’s a fun topic. If you read my post last year summarizing the history of Our Company of Fools, you might remember that I mentioned my attempts at a sequel never panned out. For today’s Fools Friday, I want to dive a bit deeper into the directions I considered for a sequel and …
Fools Friday: Behind the Cover Art
Happy Fools Friday! Today, I wanted to tell the brief history behind the cover art for the book. The cover was created by Caleb Cole, a graphic designer, fine artist, and friend of mine, but before the project was handed off to him, I actually tried to design a cover myself…using Canva. I know, I …
Happy 1st Book Birthday, Our Company of Fools!
Hello and Happy New Year! Today is a big day because…it’s the one-year anniversary since Our Company of Fools was released! Huzzah! For those of you who may not know what Our Company of Fools is, it’s a young adult fantasy thriller novel about a group of young writers who literally face their demons. It’s …
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By Madelynn Orion 