Monthly Archives: November 2011

The Liebster Blog Award

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

Leila Gaskin, over at Write Am I, passed the Liebster Blog Award on to me. Thanks so much, Leila! Right after her announcement, and before I had a chance to accept the award, I found out that Emerald Barnes of Dreaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Ahh, Revision

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

Last November, when I started this blog, I was obsessed with revision. After all, I had spent the past few years hammering out drafts of BODY COPY, my literary small-town newspaper novel. I hadn’t started a new first draft of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Revision, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

A Random Act of Kindness

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

Late last week, storms ripped through Portland and turned our front yard into a lush red carpet. Within 24 hours, more maple leaves were visible than grass. Within 48 hours, the grass and garden beds had virtually disappeared. On Saturday … Continue reading →

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Back to the Beginning–Again

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

I came away from Monday’s critique equipped with thoughtful overview letters, manuscript line edits and 10 single-spaced pages of notes from our several-hour discussion.  And now I’m digging into all this rich, fertile soil, not sure whether to plant or … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Revision, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

It’s Critique Day!

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

I’ve been waiting for this day. In September, I submitted two-thirds of my historical novel, LOST NOTES, to my intrepid writing colleagues. We’re going to get together this evening to talk about the manuscript. Our discussions generally last for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Fiction, Revision, Writing | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Writing Challenge #10: Keep an Eye on Your First Chapter

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

Many writers are in the midst of speeding through a 50,000-word novel for NaNoWriMo. This challenge isn’t for you–at least not this month! It’s for those of us working on manuscripts at a less aggressive pace. In fact, it’s all about … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Revision, Writing, Writing Challenge | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

#OccupyPolarBears

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

I was tickled to see these banners up in the penguin exhibit at the Oregon Zoo on a recent visit. Apparently, the penguins are occupying the polar bears’ quarters in the name of a new water filtration system in their … Continue reading →

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Pumpkin Is My Theme

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

While so many folks have been focused on escalating word counts for National Novel Writing Month, it’s no secret that I’ve been distracted from writing so far this month. I wake up thinking about house projects and various spinning plates, … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

My WIP’s Anniversary

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Laura Stanfill

Last August, after finishing my literary novel BODY COPY, I started writing a new one. Aptly, I titled the folder “new novel.” It was about two kids from music-box collecting families. I wrote some first-draft scenes. I jotted down notes … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Revision, Writing | Tagged , , | 17 Comments