Life Had Other Plans
May 19, 2021
5 Comments
So, I was going to write yet another pithy little piece on productivity, but life had other plans.
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Productivity! Part 4
May 5, 2021
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So, another little lesson I've learned ... start right away.
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Productivity! Part 3
April 21, 2021
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"Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like ..."
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Three Hours of Unproductive Time
April 8, 2021
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Eventually I discovered why so much of my writing time is unproductive.
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Writer, Know Thyself
March 17, 2021
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Aspiring writers often ask about an author's process ... as if there is some magic clue that will help them write.
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Wounded Feelings
March 3, 2021
2 Comments
They're a fact of life, especially for an author.
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The Joy of Bad Reviews
February 4, 2021
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Ah, the joy of bad reviews! Yes, they're fun. But they take a little getting used to.
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Disruption. Alarm. Distress.
January 20, 2021
2 Comments
Riot and destruction at our nation's capitol. Riot and destruction in our nation's cities.
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Something Lovely Came in the Mail
January 6, 2021
4 Comments
I love working with new writers and watching them grow in their craft.
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Focusing
December 23, 2020
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Christmas is a glorious holiday ... but it's a little funky this year. And I'm having a certain amount of trouble focusing.
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Research & Development
December 2, 2020
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Is it possible to write while on vacation?
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So … COVID.
September 2, 2020
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So, COVID. Yeah, I don't really want to talk about it, either.
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Cold. Hard. Facts.
May 28, 2020
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Having received my agent's letter after reading my work-in-progress, it's time to assess some cold. hard. facts.
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Something My Agent Said
May 20, 2020
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So if my agent had said something irrelevant, I would have known it.
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Two Questions
May 6, 2020
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So I send the partial to my agent. Bless him, he reads it right away. No waiting and waiting ...
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What Now?
April 15, 2020
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I've written 25,000 words of the new novel--and couldn't be happier!!
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How’s the Writing Going?
March 18, 2020
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Working on the new middle-grade novel and it's going ...
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Sketches
March 4, 2020
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Sketches are coming in. They are lovely. But I also have some comments.
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Inspiration
February 19, 2020
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Inspiration! It's so wonderful when it shows up at my door. And it usually brings its friends ...
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Creativity Flourishes
February 5, 2020
2 Comments
My creativity tends to flourish when I have a physical challenge.
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A Broken Wrist Isn’t All Bad
January 15, 2020
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Some good things have come from having a broken wrist.
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Ultimate Power!
December 18, 2019
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See, I always thought editors had ULTIMATE POWER!
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Grumpy
December 4, 2019
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Yeah, so I'm a little grumpy. It took me years to tame my (admittedly monumental) author's ego ...
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Too Much
October 14, 2019
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So something's happened. I've talked about the new book too much.
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Waiting for My Editor, part 4
April 18, 2019
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I'm not just being WHINY here (well, maybe a little). But I have a FIRM DEADLINE for the finished book.
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Waiting for My Editor, part 3
April 3, 2019
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Waiting for my editor: hours turn into days, days into weeks, weeks into months ...
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Waiting for My Editor
March 6, 2019
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Good things about waiting for my editor to respond ...
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Glory Be!
January 23, 2019
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Glory be! I've sent off the revised book! I really, really like it. But will my editor?
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Writer’s Retreat
December 26, 2018
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After a period of long, hard slogging ... it's a delight to sink into the peace and quiet of a week away from it all.
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A Tough Season for Writing
November 28, 2018
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I haven't made a ton of progress on the book.
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A Long-Term Slog
November 14, 2018
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There is nothing, nothing, NOTHING so crucial for success as a writer as being able to sustain a long-term SLOG.
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Being Your Own Boss
October 17, 2018
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When you're a writer, you have the career bonus of being your own boss ... except ...
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Revisions Part IV
December 20, 2017
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My editor suggests that I cut one character out completely.
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Big Surprise!
December 6, 2017
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Early in my career, once I got the revision letter, it would take me 3 MONTHS to move from fury to confusion to hope (and, finally, to revision).
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Revision Letter
November 8, 2017
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At long last, the revision letter arrives! Lynne Jonell reflects on this part of the publication process.
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Roadblocks
October 25, 2017
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After a summer hiatus, author and illustrator Lynne Jonell is back with Page Break and she's contemplating roadblocks.
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A Paralyzing Lethargy
April 26, 2017
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When Lynne Jonell finishes a book, her reaction takes her by surprise .... every time.
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Convincing Details!
March 29, 2017
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In a fantasy, the writer builds a world. It has new rules ...
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What’s Best for the Story?
March 15, 2017
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Editing the first draft ... there are some inconsistencies, for sure.
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Miles to Go
March 1, 2017
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Yep, I've completed the FIRST DRAFT, but the book isn't done YET; there are miles to go before I sleep.
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Magical
February 1, 2017
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The book is chugging along. Something happens when I get close to the end ...
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Momentum
January 18, 2017
2 Comments
Writing a story is a little like starting up a train ...
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Coffee Will Be My Downfall
January 4, 2017
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Have you found yourself in one of these life-altering moments? Lynne Jonell shares her anguish.
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I Have Some Bad News
December 21, 2016
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In which the author must call her editor to let her know she can't meet the deadline.
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The Contract, It Arrives!!
December 7, 2016
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In which the author Lynne Jonell contemplates the real meaning of a contract to write and complete a book.
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My Greatest Responsibility
November 23, 2016
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Lynne Jonell is feeling responsible. "The story comes timidly, like an orphan clad in rags, half seen in the shadows."
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Not One But Four!
October 26, 2016
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I'm writing a time travel novel, but, oh, the research!
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Big and Blank
October 12, 2016
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Beginning a new chapter. The page is BIG and BLANK. I know where my characters are but I don't have the faintest idea what is going to happen next.
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