3.24.2015

ok so i'm a writer...story boards

story board. i was always wishy washy about this. i understood why some writers liked them. but i also understood it didn't help me very much. it seemed to stall my process more than help me write because while i took the time to carefully outline, i felt that urge that should be taking that time to actually write the manuscript. also, i didn't necessarily know where i was going or where my characters were going to take me, and i was ok with that!

i'm still wishy washy. i don't think it's always that necessary (depending on if you are writing fiction or non, more from experience vs creating a whole new place like hogwarts, or even where you are in the writing process), but i do think it's necessary for me, right now, with this project.

i'm currently writing the sequel to falling stars, and i feel like i've been writing it for like a year. that's probably because i have, but until i had the final version of the first book, i couldn't write the follow up. when one changed, so did the other.

so here i am finally able to write freely, falling stars has already been printed and is on its way to me and my distributor (so no changes are able to be made), and i have been struggling with nailing down this next story. there are so many concrete things i cannot change, and then there are so many new possibilities at my fingertips. too much for my little brain sometimes. too much.

so i thought i'd try a story board. i was desperate. i needed to get it out of my head. i needed to be able to touch it, feel it, erase and start over, see the arc of the story, and all that.

i googled story boards and found a lot of them. some of them were excel spreadsheets with arrows going all which ways and tiny little boxes in random spots. no, thank you. i didn't want to confuse myself even more.

then i found one that was basically boxes. that's all. it was still too small for  the page, and i ended up writing so small that i couldn't get a thought out in one box. but it was the right idea.

here's my template i made for you, if you so desire to have a story board. just print out like five or six depending on what you want, and then number the pages. and boom, your head my just clear up. and if it doesn't...you tried it, right? happy boarding!


Click Here to Download PDF 


3.13.2015

ok so i'm a writer...character sketch

hello, i've been bombarding you with news lately about the upcoming release of Falling Stars, and sorry i'm not sorry about that. :)  however, i am going to take a break from my news cycle to write a regular writer post today: character sketches.

i read See Jane Write by sarah mlynowski and farrin jacobs a while ago. it was a fantastic resource, which i will do a post on soon (if i haven't already...hopefully i'm not that forgetful, but it's possible). anyway, in there, sarah/farrin offer a great idea in terms of getting your characters started/fleshed out. they put these little character sketch templates into the book, and i copied the info straight to my little notebook to made into my very own printable, reusable template. now, i would like to share it with you for your character needs!



this template can and should be used at the beginning of your creation of the characters, but don't worry if you've already written chapters. i think it's just as important to do midway, and i'll tell you why:

you might not know certain things about your characters depending on the limited situations you've put them in. and you might not realize that by filling in a little bit more of the character's backstory (at least in your head) how much more dimensional he/she could be.

so i say do it no matter what, just to check that your character is who you think he/she is. don't laugh...it might surprise you! :)

see below for printable PDF versions of character (primary) and secondary sketches as well as a "Song Sketch"

click here for free printable!

click here for free printable!

click here for free printable!



3.04.2015

Falling Stars: The latest

hello everyone! i have some cool news.
i got a call from my publisher yesterday, and i got to see the PROOF  for FALLING STARS! i am so excited. i had no idea what to expect since this is my first time, but it was not bound. there were three components, which i took pictures of! 

1. a printer's inkjet version of the cover (the printer press will be even better) 

2. a sample of the book page paper (i went with a natural color instead of the white)

3. 16-page booklets of the entire manuscript

i went through each page and signed off on each booklet to say "yep, let's do this" :) 

i signed off on the cover...i LOVE it. 

and i should be getting my copies of the book in about 3-5 weeks!

oh, and one quick thing: 

****i will be selling copies of FALLING STARS on ashlyne.co with ONE EXTRA PERK: i am offering FREE PERSONALIZATION on each book. so you're wanting a little note or just a signature, you can buy a copy from ashlyne.co for no extra charge! i will start taking pre-orders in a few weeks! see the photos of the proof copy below!****