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Follow along for the latest happenings and behind-the-scenes author challenges

I often hear the question - which came first, char

I often hear the question - which came first, character or plot?
Ummmm - setting…
…
When my husband and I first came to Vermont about 10 years ago, I knew that if I ever wrote a book, it would be set here. I only had a vague idea of who my MC would be and absolutely no idea of plot.
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My wip takes place in early summer, and as we played tourist in our adopted state, I tried to capture some of the images that keep my inspiration alive.
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How about you - Character, Plot, or… setting?
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#Cozymysterywriter #cozymysteryauthor #amwritingmystery #mysterywriter #vermont #vermontliving #vermontlife #greenmountains #greenmountainstate #vermontphotography #ilovevt #vermont_igers #getoutdoors #thewritercommunity #fridaymood

I’ve got a confession to make… I dog ear pages

I’ve got a confession to make…
I dog ear pages as I read. 😲
I can hear the collective gasp from here!
…
I don’t do it to mark where I leave off - I have a bookmark for that!
But sometimes as I read, I’ll run across a phrase or a passage that I want to remember, to read again, maybe even jot down so that I can go back to it - maybe even quote it. And as we’re talking about Craft books this week, the truth is - I learn a lot from reading good fiction.
…
So - now be honest - if I was reading a book you wrote, wouldn’t you want me to dog ear a few pages? ☺️
…
(And I NEVER do that to a borrowed book - not ever)
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#thewritercommunity #writertalktuesday #mysterywriter #mysterywritersofinstagram #cozymysterywriter #cozymysteryauthor #mysteryreader #writinglife #aspiringauthor

Craft books in my tbr… I’ve read so many Craft

Craft books in my tbr…
I’ve read so many Craft books over the last year because, let’s face it, when it came to writing a full length novel - I had no clue what I was doing!
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And now - I’m in the polishing stages - cleaning that sucker up and trying to make it pretty.
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So far, I’m finding this group of books to be full of ideas, advice, and exercises that I can use in preparation for my last (hopefully last!) rounds of editing.
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What books are you finding helpful?
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Happy Sunday - how is your weekend going so far? I

Happy Sunday - how is your weekend going so far? It’s a holiday weekend in Vermont and with all the leaf peepers driving around, I’m just trying to lay low.
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Every Sunday, I sit down with my journal and make a wish list of things I’d like to get done - kind of like goals, but I always list more than I can possibly accomplish (for some reason that works for me). Last week, I finished a round of editing - big celebration 🍾 🎉
And this week I’m planning to work my way through some of the exercises in The Emotional Craft of Fiction. I’d like to write a blog post - it’s been months… and maybe even attend an in-person yoga class for the first time in… lots of months…
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Do you set firm goals each week?
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#sundaywritinggoals #thewritercommunity #writercheckin #mysterywriter
#cozymysteryauthor #cozymysterywriter #aspiringauthor

Happy Saturday! We moved a few things around in ou

Happy Saturday!
We moved a few things around in our house, and this is one of my new writing spots 😀😀😀
…
I finished a round of revising 🎉
And before diving into the next, I’m going to take a week or so to do some writing exercises, follow the threads of my clues to make sure I didn’t drop anything (pretty sure I did 🙄)
And hopefully a little more downtime and reading!
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What are you up to this weekend?
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#mysterywriter #thewritercommunity #amrevising #amwritingmystery #writingspace #vermontfall #cozymysteryauthor #cozymysteryauthors

Do you read genres that you don’t write? Do you

Do you read genres that you don’t write? Do you have a favorite?
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For October, I’m mixing things up a bit. My favorite genre is mystery (love a good puzzle), but I also love a compelling story and beautiful prose (hello Amor Towles ❤️). At my current reading rate, I’ll be lucky to get half way through this pile - a girl can dream.
What are you reading this month?
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#mysterywriter #cozymysterywriter #booklover #bookstack #bookstacklove #tobereadpile #octoberreads #vermontwriter #mysterylovers #readingcommunity

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