Natasha Deen's Blog, page 27

Ummm, what?

Reading a book on how to write (when at a loss, go back to the well, right?), & the author says to set goals, then gives an example, “Have a book traditionally published by 2018.”

And then I put the book down.

I’m sorry, that’s not a goal. A goal is something YOU can accomplish. YOU can choose *if* you finish the manuscript, and YOU can choose *when* you submit, YOU can even choose the people to whom you submit, BUT YOU CANNOT choose if your book gets published because that’s not in your deci...

Love this!

The Long & Winding Road

Maria Stiehler | Unsplash

January 11, 2017, and this is not where I thought I would be. I had an idea for a novel, had the general outline, and intended to start writing in October. The schedule was too busy, no problem, November.

*Except* when November came, I hit the writing road the way I always do. Flat on my face. Splat. I couldn’t get the first pages to work. So I wrote and deleted and wrote again…and got 10 pages that were passable and workable.

Sent it off to my publisher and said, “W...

Reality vs. Perceived Reality

Unsplash | Angela Litvin

I’ve been going through my old blog posts, and I came acrossone I wrote in 2007 where I said I’d been a full-time writer since 2004. And 2017 me went, “What?! Full time since 2004?! What kind of moldy yogurt was I eating?!”

2003 & 2004, I was a one-woman wrecking and renovation crew, updating our home. I remember very long days laying laminate and painting (so much so, the idea of picking up a paint brush still triggers my gag reflex). 2004 was also the year of seriou...

2007 vs 2017

I was watching an episode of Corner Gas yesterday, the one whereLacey wants to write for The Howler…only The Howler won’t have her. Throughout the episode, she meets up with other townsfolk who all write/have written for the paper. Emma, when she learns that Lacey wants to be a columnist, tries to encourage Lacey and says of the paper, “Oh, they’ll take anyone.” Meanwhile, she has no idea that Lacey has already been rejected.

The subtext that Lacey’s been rejected because she’s not a great wr...

2017 Events

January 27-29, 2017:YouthWrite Winter Wordplay ~ The Many-Headed Liar: Creating 3D Characters. Ever struggled with paper-thin characters? Learn simple, effective ways to develop believable, relatable characters that readers love or love to hate.

February 1-2, 2017: OLA Superconference ~ Bring Your Own Cape: Using Novels and Non-Fiction Narratives to Further Themes of Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice.

February 9-10, 2017: YABS’ Story Avenue ~ (From the YABS website): Story Avenue is an a...

Happy Holidays

We’re not shipping syrup to the Serengeti

The writing has not been going well. Deleted pages, blank pages, no pages. It’s easy to get frustrated, to blow everything out of proportion, and to get discouraged.

That’s when having friends in the industry is such a help. One of my writing friends told me when the work threatens to overwhelm, and the anxieties grow, she takes a breath and says, “You’re not shipping syrup to the Serengeti.” As in, this isn’t life and death. As in, take it down a notch.

And not just that, but I have the best...

Lovin’ this note from a Gr. 3 student

Worth Reading

Great article on the gender gap in wages.