I finished twelve books in December:Cress by Marissa Meyer90 Days to Your Novel by Sarah DometCompany Confessions by Christopher MoranBossypants by Tina FeyThe Things They Carried by Tim O’BrienGeorge by Alex GinoIsolation Ward by Joshua SpanogleCode Name Verity by Elizabeth WeinThe Winner’s Kiss by Marie RutkoskiAs I Lay Dying by William FaulknerSplendor by Anna GodbersenLinger... Continue Reading →
When Vivvie Met Bryant
This is a scene I wrote last month during NaNo, knowing that it would never belong in the final book. It might be the best bit I wrote.... This is my spot. Midway between two guard towers. Which means moms and dads and babysitters shy away from it. They want to be near the guardians.I... Continue Reading →
November and The Light Fantastic
In November, I only read six books:Naked in Death by J.D. RobbThe Complete Short Stories by SakiThe Girl on the Train by Paula HawkinsCarry On by Rainbow RowellLisey’s Story by Stephen King (reread)Beware the Wild by Natalie C. ParkerI say only, because that is a much smaller number than normal for me. But as I... Continue Reading →
Five Things I Learned While (Accidentally) Winning #NaNoWriMo
"I did not win NaNoWriMo this year. I failed to write 50,000 words in 30 days." Those were the words I wrote on Day 27 of NaNo. And then I accidentally ended up winning. (I’ll explain below, I promise)This is how the month of November went:I was on track until the last week of November,... Continue Reading →
#NaNoWriMo Week 3 AKA The Pit of Despair
Hello, my name is Susan. It is the end of week 3 of NaNoWriMo and I hate my novel.Okay, that’s not really true. I don’t HATE it. But we are in the super awkward, I don’t want to write you anymore, but I committed to you, so I am forced to spend time with you,... Continue Reading →
#NaNoWriMo Week 2
It is the end of week 2 of NaNoWriMo! I am still alive. It has been a rough week.I had a lot of words here about the events of the week and how they have impacted me. But I realized that is not what this post wants to be. So read these words by Chuck... Continue Reading →
#NaNoWriMo Week One
It is Day 7 of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)! It has been a bit of an odd week, with me dragging behind the target word count until today. In the spirit of a picture is worth a thousand words, here’s my progress so far:Look at that, my bar is juuuuust touching the line!It’s the... Continue Reading →
Books and NaNoWriMo
In October, I was a super overachiever and read 14 books:Cell by Stephen King (reread)Dorothy Must Die by Danielle PaigeThe Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John GardnerNo Place Like Oz by Danielle PaigeOutlining Your Novel by K.M. WeilandPlainsong by Kent HarufThe Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski (reread)The Essential Enneagram by... Continue Reading →
Cut Scene from SIGHTED
Today's bit of fiction is a snippet of a scene that didn't make it into my current work in progress. SIGHTED (the title I FINALLY decided on) is a modern-day young adult retelling of the Cassandra myth. This scene takes place after Kassandra's 17th birthday party. The two characters are Julie (Kass's best friend) and... Continue Reading →
Chuck Wendig Made Me Write My Ghost Story
Chuck Wendig asked the interwebs (as least the part that reads his blog) to write a bit of non-fiction this week. He asked for true stories of the scary, the weird, the supernatural.This one’s for you, Chuck.Taos, New Mexico. Located in the midst of The Land of Enchantment. If you’ve ever been there, you might... Continue Reading →
Susan Monroe McGrath 