I read a total of 30 books this year, which for some is a lot, and for others is hardly worth mentioning. For me, with a dayjob, a toddler, edits, copy edits, and a whole book to write, it was kind of astounding. I don’t have a lot of time to just sit and read – so I don’t. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and – when the weather’s nice…
[News Flash] December 23, 2018
Thank you so much to yesterday’s guest, Reyna Grande! If you haven’t already, enter the #DebBallGiveaway to win a copy of A Dream Called Home. You can enter by sharing our post on Facebook and/or retweeting the following tweet (make sure you follow @DebutanteBall on Twitter too!): We had a fascinating conversation with @reynagrande this week about art & publishing that you should read right now. RT & follow for a…
Reyna Grande on writing across genres + learning the business of publishing + GIVEAWAY of A DREAM CALLED HOME
Please welcome Reyna Grande to the Ball this week! Reyna is an award-winning author whose stunning memoir The Distance Between Us was a New York Times bestseller, and whose novels have been adapted as a common read selection in classrooms across the country. A Dream Called Home, which came out this year, is Reyna’s fourth book, and we are incredibly honored to have her as a guest. In A Dream Called Home,…
Am I The Only Deb Who Likes To Relax?
I am practically rubbing my hands together with glee right now, because this has got to be one of my favorite writing topics of all time. There is so much emphasis in writing culture on how much time one spends writing, how quickly one can write, how many words one can churn out in a day. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I do…
No Days Off
This week we’re supposed to write about self-care, relaxation, and the importance of not writing. Well, I spend a lot of time not writing. More than I should. Often, I’m procrastinating – thinking, oh I’ll just do this one thing… okay 5 things… okay how the hell is it 5pm and I haven’t written a word today?? But I don’t spend a lot of time truly relaxing and taking care…
Attacus Atlas & Other Inventions: Down-Time and Other Myths of Relaxation
I’m supposed to be writing about self-care and relaxation and the art of not writing. Um, I don’t think I’m in any position to give anyone advice about this. I agree everyone needs down-time. I wish I took more breaks. When I’m stuck in my work-in-progress I usually go outside with my camera and take a photograph, or take out the dog for a walk. The fresh air and the…
Fighting for a Break
Just the other day, I filled half a page with a brand new story idea, one that interweaves sacrifice and loyalty, action and inaction, what we owe ourselves vs what we owe each other, with a little – or rather a lot – of magic on top. Last week I wrote two short stories out of the blue and the week before that I figured out how to fix a…
[News Flash] December 16, 2018
Thank you so much to yesterday’s guest, Wendy Heard! If you haven’t already, enter the #DebBallGiveaway to win a copy of Hunting Annabelle. You can enter by sharing our post on Facebook and/or retweeting the following tweet (make sure you follow @DebutanteBall on Twitter too!): So psyched to feature #PitchWars mentor + @UnlikeableFCPod host & all-around fave person @wendydheard this week on @DebutanteBall! RT & follow for a chance to win…
Interview with Wendy Heard and Hunting Annabelle Giveaway
Thrilled to welcome Wendy Heard to the Deb Ball this week! Wendy Heard is an author of psychological thrillers. She was born in San Francisco but has spent most of her life in Los Angeles, which is on fire more than she would honestly prefer. When not writing, she can be found haunting local bookstores, hiking the Griffith Park trails, and (apparently) writing about herself in the third person. You…
Blogs and podcasts and everything nice
Over the years, I’ve read a number of books on writing, and I can highly recommend the following (and I have no doubt most of you will have heard of all of them already): Stephen King’s On Writing, Natalie Goldberg’s Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life, Anne Lammott’s Bird By Bird. I don’t…
