Lies and Kombat

What's going on, Wednesday Writers?  

Let's catch up...

What I'm Reading:  I just finished LITTLE BIG LIES by liane Moriarty.  It was SO GOOD.  It was stay up until all hours of the night good.  Read it.

What I'm Writing:  I started drafting my contemp MG, which is currently titled SMALL TOWN HERO, but I am 100% not keeping that name.  I am having so much fun listening to my MC, who is a little rough around the edges. :). I got around 10K written so far, and hope to be done by the end of July.  

What Else is Going On:  I'm participating in Query Kombat this week with my MG Fantasy.  Cross fingers, toes, and any other body parts for me!

What have you been up to this week?

A Swap, A Plot, and A Workshop

Hey Writer Friends!  Hope all is well on your end of the bookstore.  I thought I would catch you up on what's going on over here.

What I'm Reading:   I just finished THE SWAP by Megan Shull.  This was a fun take on a Freaky-Friday-like switch.  The concept was interesting enough to keep me reading, but the dialog...  was lacking.  I am around middle school kids frequently and I have NEVER heard anyone talk like they do in this book.  So bad.

I also just finished STORY ENGINEERING by Larry Brooks.

This was a GREAT guide to story planning, but pants-ers beware; Mr. Brooks is pretty vocal about how you are wrong.  LOL.  Since I am an outlin-er myself, I liked the thorough explanation of story beats.  It got my gears turning, that's for sure!

What I'm Writing:
I am still planning a story that I hope to start drafting next month.  It will be a MG contemporary (a first for me).  So far so good!

What Else is Happening:  Last weekend I went to a one day intensive workshop with my local SCBWI branch.  It was all about MG and chapter books, and taught by Candice Ransom (author of over 120 children's books).  I love getting to spend a day with other writers learning new things!