Just Admit It!

Status of my life: Chapter 18 of my novel, SHADOWS, Law and Order, SVU on TNT, American Idol tonight. Girls, baby!

I'm a writer. That's the most important thing to admit. Yes, I say admit. I've been a closet writer for years, amidst my teaching career and regular life. But I decided to open the doors and write!

I am not a published author--yet. But I will be. I love to read young adult novels, fantasy, and science fiction. My husband teaches 6th grade and I read everything he gets before it goes in his classroom library. I recently found re-tellings of fairy tales and find that I love those.

I've been researching the road to publishing for the past six months. Check out the list of websites I visit everyday. That's right, every single day. The market changes, I gotta keep up.

I recently went to a writing conference and got some great advice. It seems basic, but take it for what it's worth.

1. Write everyday. Set a goal. My goal is 3000 words a day. That may seem like a lot to some people, but I type extremely fast. If I have an idea and the plot already in my mind, this only takes a couple of hours.

Even if it's bad, dedicate the time to writing.

2. Write what you like. I like fantasy, so that's what I'm working on right now. I read a lot in this genre too, so I'm familiar with the aspects of it.

This was a big tip: Read what you write. I try to read a new book every week. Sometimes I can get through three or four, depending on the length and how interested I am.

Reading: BEAUTY by Robin McKinley