M. Dalto's Blog, page 3
July 14, 2019
Writer In Motion: A Retrospective
As Semisonic once said, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
And here we are.
As with all good things, #WriterInMotion too must come to an end.
But just because this is the end doesn’t mean it can’t also be the beginning.
First, and foremost, I have met an amazing group of writers and editors, and for that I can appreciate the beginning of some beautiful friendships:
Jeni Chappelle • K. J. Harrowick (Blog 1 & Blog 2) • Jen Karner • H.M. Braverman • J.M. Jinks • Melis...
July 4, 2019
Writer In Motion: The Final Draft (a/k/a Thank The Gods For Editors)
I’ll be the first to tell you that editors used to scare me.
When I first started writing, I always felt like an editor was only there to tell you how bad your writing was, and to show you all the mistakes you made and to make you feel like you should never write again.
No, this isn’t me saying that an editor needs to be your best friend and stroke your ego with every paragraph.
But the best editors know how to be encouraging while helping you fit the pieces into place.
In this stage of #Writ...
June 28, 2019
Writer In Motion: The Third Draft (a/k/a Critique Partners Are Amazing)
Self-editing may be the worst, but I always get nervous when someone else reads my work.
You’d think by now I’d be used to it… but nope. Every time I send out something new, it’s another round of crippling anxiety.
But this is what I signed up for, and I’m not even talking about #WriterInMotion. In fact, this process is actually helping me get over my panic about judgmental readers.
So that being said, in this round were coordinated with two different Critique Partners, or CPs. I was fortunat...
June 26, 2019
New Adult Scavenger Hunt: Summer 2019
Welcome to New Adult Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was inspired as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors and a chance to win some awesome prizes! During this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus m...
June 22, 2019
Writer In Motion: The Second Draft (a/k/a Self-Edits Are Hard)
I do not like editing.
I have made this known many times to anyone who would listen.
And I especially don’t like editing my own stuff.
Every time I look back over a story I’ve written, I cringe a little, start changing a lot, and the next thing you know, I’m adding 40k more words to a 50k-word manuscript.
It’s not pretty.
This week for #WriterinMotion we’re to self-edit our initial draft before sending it off to our critique partners, or CPs, for their review and edits.
Initially I was just g...
June 13, 2019
Writer In Motion: The Initial Draft
Well, here it is. The moment I”m sure you’ve all been waiting for.
The initial draft of my #WriterInMotion project, written solely based upon a single prompt picture.
1,032 words, raw and unedited. I had to close the Google Doc as soon as I had it done so I wouldn’t feel the need to go bad and reread/edit any of it.
Still no title. Still no character names. That will be what this coming week is for…
Godspeed.
If she tried hard enough, she could see the illumination of city in the distance, gl...
June 10, 2019
Writer In Motion: Not Planning the Planning (a/k/a My Process)
It’s no secret that I am the most pantser of all the pantsers. I know it’s not a good thing, but sometimes I can’t help it. I’ve tried too, but every time I start to write, my characters laugh at my outline, call it cute, and burn it to the ground.
#WriterInMotion is no different.
So, again I’m looking at the picture prompt:
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And of course my first thought:
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And then, when I get that out of my system, I’m immediately thinking Fantasy, because when have I ever not written anything fantasy? Bec...
June 9, 2019
Writer In Motion: It Starts…
I’ve never been one to turn down a challenge.
Or to be left out of one if I think it’s something I would want to get myself invested in whether or not I logically have the time to lend to a new project.
Enter #WriterInMotion.
Between Jeni Chapelle and J.M. Jinks, I was casually convinced that this is something I needed– nay– wanted to do, and here we are.
I think a reason for my involvement is to show people the process from the other side- as a published author, readers only see the final pr...
BookCon 2019
So this year I did a thing that, if you asked me a year ago if I’d ever be able to do it, I would have said you’re crazy. But I did it. It’s done. And it was awesome.
A huge thank you to Amber R. Duell for putting this all together and organizing what might be, to date, the best experience of my writing career. To have five authors, two assistants, and one publishing house coming together to make this such a successful event only goes to show how far indie authors can go when they want someth...
Announcing the New Adult Scavenger Hunt Team Summer 2019
Hello Everyone! Hope you are excited as I am, because we have less than three weeks until the Summer 2019 New Adult Scavenger Hunt begins!
Here is the Summer 2019 #NewASH team:
The New Adult Scavenger Hunt begins at Noon Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 26th and runs through Sunday, June 30th. For more information, visit newadultscavengerhunt.com.
