Naming Characters with Baby Names

Just found something interesting today that made me smile. It was an example of someone modifying a website designed for one purpose to suit another, and I thought that it was great.

I don't know about the rest of the writing population, but often when I'm stumped for character names I turn to the wonderful Baby Names website. (Heaven forbid my boyfriend catches me on the site without an explanation!) Anyway, it's a great tool that can be used many ways. For example, you can simply browse through the lists of names for inspiration. Or you can use the advanced search function, which allows you to search for names by gender, meaning, origin, and more.

Nanowrimo Novel Progress... and Sequel!

I didn't want to say anything before, in case I jinxed my progress. Now that I've been going strong for more than a month, I think it's about time that I talk about what I've been up to.

After I finished my Nanowrimo novel, I decided to let it 'settle' for at least a month. Okay, so let's be honest: the thought of editing terrifies me. I proved to myself writing The Hidden Land of Gre that I could write a novel-length first draft. But I've always gotten snagged when it comes to taking that tangled collection of duds and gems and spinning it into something beautiful.

Life Changes

Greetings! Long time no see!

I felt that the time had come for an update, so here it is.

I've made a lot of huge changes in my life recently. I'm working as a consultant now, and living in my very own first personal apartment (yay!) I'm also easing myself back into fiction writing, with Nanowrimo of all things (yikes!).

Things are moving forward, and I'm very happy.

Cheers to all!

A Renaissance

For those of you who are still following my blog after all this time (or, for those of you who scroll down to see the date of my last post... eek!) you'll know that I've been quiet for a while. A little too quiet. What could be percolating in that brain of hers, you might ask? What grand scheme has been a-brewing over these past few months?

Here's my story, in a nutshell:

More Interview Recap on Community Fridays

Here are some more great interviews you might have missed.

Marvin Wilson, who some would call a "spiritual rogue," opens up about writing, spirituality, and how he manages to preserve his positive outlook and generous, big-hearted nature through good times and bad.

Even if you're writing a fantasy story, you need some basis in reality to engage your readers. So it's a good thing that research is one of Resa Nelson's favorite parts of writing. In fact, she delved so deeply into research that she joined a real-life sword guild!

Curious about book signings? Jacquelyn Sylvan has some great stories, including how to survive the signing that doesn't go according to plan. She also shares her one super-secret tip to getting published.

Katie Hines talks about her soon-to-be-released middle-grade fantasy book, Guardian, and how she met her publisher.