Are you planning to participate in NaNoWriMo in November? Do you have days where writing is the last thing you want to do? The reality of it is, if you want to win at Nano, you’re probably going to be writing every single day of the month, and the likelihood that you feel like writing […]
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I’m a firm believer that your best ideas (and your best success) will come from stories you’re excited to write. Stories inspired by the things you naturally love writing the most. Early in my career, I was introduced to the idea of creating a set of Master Lists in order to figure out what inspired […]
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Brainstorming great ideas for a novel or series can truly be some of the most fun you’ll have as a writer. I love to brainstorm novel ideas, but there is a lot more that goes into taking an idea from that first spark to a full-length novel or a five-book series and beyond. In this […]
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I know I talk about goal-setting a lot here at Heart Breathings, but what happens if you fall behind on your plans? Do you totally reset everything? Keep going? What if something needs to change? I’m talking about that in today’s vlog, because I recently realized I needed to make a major shift in my […]
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Getting started as a writer is hard enough, but once you’ve gotten started and are getting words on the page, how do you get better? Of course, the clear answer here is, “Keep Writing”. And that’s the truth. That’s the number one tip, for sure, because you learn by doing. The more you write, the […]
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How is your NaNoWriMo going? It’s been another rollercoaster week here. But we are over the hump now and the end is in site! The life of a writer… it may seem all sunshine and roses, but there are cloudy days and roses sometimes have thorns. For me, this week has been a little of […]
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Welcome to the second week of the NaNoWriMo Diaries, my daily vlog where I talk about the experience of writing a brand new novel for NaNo, at the same time as publishing another, as well as being a mom and an entrepreneur. (And if you wonder how, I explain it all in the Day 9 […]
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One of the most important concepts you can learn as an author is pacing. Basically, pacing is how fast or slow your story unfolds on the page, and an understanding of when to move faster can help you tell a better story. In today’s video on YouTube, I discuss some of the elements of pacing […]
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Whenever it’s time to start a new book, I have a process I’ve learned to follow that helps me outline my novel. I thought I’d share that process with you today. Especially since we’re currently on the eve of NaNoWriMo and deep into Preptober. You can watch the video here on YouTube or below. I […]
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Now that I’m getting back into the swing of things after the birth of my daughter, I’m thinking more and more about how to get back on track with my writing after taking some time off. That means figuring out my next steps and my deadlines and goals for what I’ll be writing the rest […]
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I have been self-publishing my books since 2010, and in that time, I've sold well over half a million copies of my books. I'm not a superstar or a huge bestseller, but I have built an amazing career that brings me great joy. Here at Heart Breathings, I hope to help you find that same level of success. Let's do this.