exploring the places my imagination takes me
Has it really been a hear and a half since I last updated this site? Those time and date stamps don't lie. The end of 2018 and all of 2019 were dedicated to finding balance. I am right in the middle of a pretty challenging period of my life. Both of my children are school… Continue reading 2020 and the Perpetual Balancing Act
It is true I have been struggling to write for the last year. It is also true that spending time in the Pacific Northwest helped. But some things have come up in the world of SFF writing that have left me reeling, and I've been struggling--and failing--to keep my creative feet planted. Last year, Sam… Continue reading Will The Artist’s Way Help Me Find My Way?
This spring break, we decided to take a vacation here in the good old USofA. The Great American Family Vacation. Well, sort of. I had dreams of driving up through the national parks of the American Southwest. The kids had dreams of beaches and sunshine. So we compromised and went to the Pacific Northwest to… Continue reading When You Go Looking for Something…
I wasn't sure that writer's block was a thing until I experienced it for myself. It has been a tough year, from a writing perspective, but I'm crawling out of it. Slowly but surely. Through it all, I managed to finish the rough draft of a novel and write 45,000 words on another novel. The… Continue reading Writer’s Block is a Thing
I don't like New Year's Resolutions. The first week of January, the gyms are full, the parks are crowded with joggers, and the self-help section of the book store is buzzing with activity. Â Resolutions tend to last about a month before they fade into the past and are forgotten. On the other hand, I love… Continue reading Goals vs. Resolutions: What I intend to accomplish in 2017
Back in April of 2016, I learned that one of my stories had been selected as one of eight finalists in the Writers of the Future contest. A few weeks later, I received word that the story had not been selected as a winner, but they asked to hang on to it. At the end… Continue reading An Acceptance!
When last I posted, my 30 stories in 30 days project was proceeding well. October ended, and so did the project. All-in-all, it was a successful exercise. I did not produce the full 30 stories, but I did manage 24, which I think is pretty good. Will I revise and try to sell every single… Continue reading October/November Wrap-Up
I've just wrapped up my 15th story, which means I'm halfway through my 30 stories in 30 days challenge. Some stories, I think, have real promise. Or at least they will once I clean them up. Others aren't so great, but they have the seeds of something else. Still others are just plain awful. Technically,… Continue reading 30 Stories in 30 Days: At the Halfway Mark
I've been in a writing slump lately, and I've been struggling to kick my brain into gear. Writing is easy when you're inspired, but learning to write when you're not inspired can be one of the most important lessons to learn as an Early Career Writer. With that in mind, I've decided to follow some advice… Continue reading 30 Stories in 30 Days
I have a funny relationship with rejection letters. I've gathered quite a few rejections over the last 12 months. Of course, in talking to some other writers on a writer's message board I visit, I know that my collection of letters is paltry. More experienced authors talk about getting hundreds in a single year. Still,… Continue reading Rejections
Molly Elizabeth Atkins 