Turning 40 and Looking Toward the Future

I recently turned 40 and celebrated by having a tea party with some gal pals. My parents and sister-in-law sent an awesome shadow box with highlights from my life so far. It was a good birthday and got me thinking... what's next?

Well, on the writing front I have a new book that's been submitted to publishers for consideration. There is a sprinkling of mystery and romance in it. I'm patiently waiting to see what happens with that story.

And I just returned from a trip to San Diego. We visited my parents and took the kiddo to Legoland. I was also thrilled to meet up with an old writer friend from college.

So after catching up about motherhood and life since college, my friend and I decided to try to co-write something. I'm excited to see how the story will take shape as we work together. I will keep you all posted:)

She brought me a gift. It was a video we made together in college called "Shoe Talk". It was all about how our taste in shoes differed. That's right, simple concept, funny in its execution, at least that's what my family said as we watched it together. After watching, my family said that I reminded them of Vanessa Bayer from SNL. So after watching a few clips from her sketches, I could see the similarities. The only difference is that she's younger and famous:)

Comments

Nonfiction vs. Fiction...What to Write Next

My computer at my new writing desk. Over the past few weeks I have been typing out every book idea that pops into my head. There have been some fiction ideas, a premise for a sequel to Sarah Starting Over , some nonfiction pitches and a few log-lines for memoirs. They are currently living on a word document called "book ideas." It's been a struggle choosing just one idea to develop right now. I've recently finished a romance that I co-wrote with my writing partner Amber Roshay . That will make three romances written in just over a year. It's been a whirlwind of learning to craft love stories. And I have a lot more to learn about writing good fiction. Joanna Penn is an author of both fiction and nonfiction. Her assertion is that writing nonfiction is a palette cleanser after writing fiction, and that notion really clicked with me. I've also been inspired because I am reading a memoir, Meghan Daum's "Life Would Be Perfect if I Lived in That...

Jennifer Weiser: Author Spotlight + Recipe

Jennifer Weiser, author of the YA paranormal dystopian novel, The Touched shares her insights on writing. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, she's also shared a festive pie recipe. I'm thrilled to host this delightful writer on my blog today! What is your process for plotting out your novel? I actually don’t have one. As much as I’ve tried to plot before writing, I just can’t seem to do it. I tend to take an idea and run with it, allowing the story and plot to unfold as I type. What is your greatest challenge as a writer? Greatest challenge…hmm, that’s a great question! I suppose my greatest challenge as a writer would be not being able to plot out a story before I sit down to write it. I imagine if I could, I would be able to write more and faster. Do you write in one genre or multiple genres? Why? I’ve only ever written one book that wasn’t YA. And even then it felt off and odd to me to write a genre that was out of my element. To me, writing YA i...

My Friend Amber Roshay's Book: Reaching Prague

Amber and I met in college. Our common interests have included college theatre department rebellion, living abroad, creative urban dwelling and writing. She's one of the most talented writers I've encountered. Her writing is compelling, emotionally raw, it's simply spell-binding. She's just published her novel, Reaching Prague and will soon have her second title, How the fat girl got thin published. If you're in the market for a sweet spring read, check out the synopsis and the link to her website below: Reaching Prague is a darkly psychological tale of adultery set in contemporary Prague. Betrayed by her husband, Sarah Billings flees to Prague in an effort to cope his duplicity and to figure out the rest of her life. In Prague she meets Mikul, a handsome bar owner with mafia ties, who at first seems to be exactly what she needs. Soon they are conducting an illicit affair filled with erotic tension, painful awakenings and looming violence. Slo...

MJ Greenway

Search This Blog