An Eloise-Inspired Place to Write (Plus Nine Others)

As I mentioned in a previous post, when I get the dreaded "Writer's Block" (dun dun DUN!), it helps to get a change in scenery. Here are ten places where you can write when you are short on inspiration (or just have cabin fever): 1. Art Gallery/MuseumThere is something very inspiring to be surrounded by…

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Imitation Game

I don't know about you, but sometimes I find myself getting stuck in a rut with my writing. Whether it is a shortage of ideas or using the same sentence structure, my writing feels stale and tired. The exercise that inevitably pulls me out of a funk is what I call the "Imitation Game." It…

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Why You Should Keep Friends from Red Pens

At the risk of sounding like Waldorf and Statler,  there is something that makes me want to make snarky comments from my balcony: people who think that they just need to have their friend, significant other, dog, or stuffed bear edit their writing. Would you let your friends cut your hair? Sure, they could do it,…

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5 Things Lola and the Boy Next Door Did Right

Important note: This is the second book in the Anna and French Kiss trilogy. Do not make my mistake and read things out of order. There are no spoilers ahead, so keep reading.  I recently finished Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, and it pretty much changed my life. It is everything a young adult novel…

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Rory Gilmore’s Reading List

As every Gilmore Girl fan knows, Rory is a major bookworm. Here is an abridged list of some of the books she has read, referenced, or plastered on her wall throughout the series: Moby Dick Atlas Shrugged The Portable Dorothy Parker David Copperfield A Heartbreaking Work for Staggering Genius Jane Eyre  The Outsiders Do you know where…

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4 Resources to Develop Characters

Do you need help developing your characters? Do they feel flat and one-dimensional? Sometimes reading about various personality types will give you ideas on more characteristics and complexities for your characters. Zodiac Signs Chinese Zodiac Signs Blood Type Personalities Myers-Briggs Personality Types Let me know which resource works best for you!

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5 Teen Movies Based On Literature

Need some movie ideas for the weekend? Here are five fun possibilities: 1. Clueless and Emma A classic. Do I need to say more? As if! 2. Ten Things I Hate About You and Taming of the Shrew Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are together in a film that features music from Letters from Cleo and Savage Garden. It is a beautiful,…

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