I may be querying an entirely different project, come the new year… My science fantasy manuscript is ready for its chance.

NotebookLM by Google is a research tool, but it can also turn your content into a podcast-style discussion between two people (AI), which is what I decided to do with the first 3 chapters of my manuscript.

Beyonce still sounds like Beyonce, even when she puts out a country album. As writers, we can do the same with our voice!

COVID hit our house hard earlier this month, and after nearly 3 weeks of acute symptoms, I’m finally coming out of it. As it’s literally the last day of September, it feels like I lost a month, but such is life.

Great stories must balance action and reflection. Action drives excitement, while reflection adds depth, and both are essential.

Research is a key to authenticity. It allows us to create worlds that feel real, characters that feel like people we could know, and plots that make sense.

While writing might start as a solitary pursuit, it’s the input, critique, and support from others that help shape our work into something truly remarkable.

While writing is primarily a solitary endeavor, preparing work for publication is not.

Whether you choose to make it something overt and explicitly stated, or you opt for a subtler approach, symbolism might be what takes your writing to the next level.

What if you knew exactly how long you had to live? Would it change how you live today, tomorrow, and the next day? This is the question at the heart of Nikki Erlick’s The Measure.

When are some times you’ve been the most self-connected? What were you doing? Where were you? How did it feel ?

When readers are on the edge of their seats, emotionally invested in the outcome, they won’t want to stop turning pages. Tension does that.

Even when it’s inevitable, death hurts. Initial thoughts about putting my grandma on hospice.

I’ll still continue to provide general topic posts for people to enjoy, but I want the flexibility to write about whatever I’m thinking about or working on at the moment, rather than feeling like I have to stick to the rigid structure I set up for this past year…

We can always improve our craft, and prose is one of those areas where this improvement can be seen most clearly when we’ve been working on it consistently.

Through short stories, we get to experience the world in bite-sized pieces, diving into specific moments of meaning.

It’s been a while, so let’s check in and get up to speed on where we’re at.

Experimenting with different styles can breathe new life into our work, foster innovation, and ultimately elevate our craft.

Cozy fantasy transports us to worlds where mystical creatures may roam and everyday troubles yield to the comforts of life, whether they be warm drinks or good friends.

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki manages to convince us that purple aliens, magical violins, and deals with the devil are entirely plausible while also exploring deep and complicated themes which affect us all.