February may be the shortest month of the year, but this one feels seriously short. Like, blink and it’ll be over.
But maybe that’s because February tends to be an involved month. And no, I’m not talking about the Super Bowl, but the fact that our lives have settled back into the swing of things following the holidays. Mine certainly has. And while some things haven’t changed (hello to the dread over artificial intelligence eroding art, political instability, and ongoing genocides), there’s been an influx of new (positive) experiences I’d like to tell you all about!
First…my books are going strong! Being nearly a year and a half out from the release of Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria, we are approaching the time where bookshops begin not to stock books if they don’t think they’ll sell. Yet I’ve continued to see the books being stocked. Not to mention, new readers are consistently learning about the series through word of mouth, libraries, and other means totally out of control!
In the background, I’ve been busy with my various work responsibilities (such as my freelance editing), but have been able to carve out time for conferences and retreats! There was one little known retreat in particular, which is invite only, and I was thrilled to attend this year. I even got to read from a picture book I’ve been working on (yes, I dabble in picture books too!).
The last thing, and my favorite, are the school visits! These are absolutely the most rewarding activity any author can participate in. I’ve been able to do visits in a couple states, with more on the way, and the energy is infectious! Kids truly are the best, and it’s a reminder of why I do what I do :)
There’s more on the horizon in March, which some exciting announcements to be had, so keep an eye out on socials as we progress into the Spring!
Writing Advice Corner
I recently received a question from one of my students about how to express that something is happening in the past, specifically while writing in the 3rd person. For example, sometimes you want to do a flashback. Now, there are four approaches you can take:
Simply note where we are in the character’s life at the beginning of a scene like, “Before Susanna took the class, she was a student at…” or “When Susanna was fifteen, she liked to…”
Including dates above a scene (though this would require consistency because you can’t just do it for one scene or chapter without doing it for all others.
Give us context clues. For example, if your character is an adult, then starting a scene when they are in high school signals we have moved back in the past. This is the hardest to execute, but will feel most natural.
Italicize the entire flashback, though this isn’t always practical.
That’s it! The best way to know which works best is to experiment, so get writing.
Now, if you are hoping to start a new story, are revising one you’ve finished, or are stuck somewhere in the middle, it’s likely the solution lies in your characters! That’s why I’m teaching a ‘Shoptalk’ (linked here) on using characters in storytelling, per the image below. It’s not expensive, and I highly recommend that you check it out!!
Reach out if you have any questions, or just to say hello! And I always really appreciate you spreading the word about my books and this newsletter, so please, please, PLEASE continue to do that :)