April Davila - Author
Last week, I was in an online discussion with a group of fellow writers, and a thought-provoking topic surfaced: Why do we write? What drives us to spend countless hours creating characters, crafting worlds, and subjecting these figments of our … [Continue reading] about Why I Write
In writing a novel, there comes a pivotal stage that just about every author faces affectionately known as the "messy middle." It's that stage where the initial spark has dimmed slightly and the end still seems a long way off. During this phase, many … [Continue reading] about Embracing the Messy Middle
Recently, I had a discussion with a client who is crafting a novel about a woman who experiences mysterious blackouts, waking up in unfamiliar places without any recollection of her whereabouts. The premise itself is intriguing, but our conversation … [Continue reading] about Embracing Conflict: Why Being Hard on Your Characters Creates Compelling Stories
A couple weeks ago, my son was on spring break and we went to see the Da Vinci exhibit at the California Science Center. It was an excellent exhibit. They basically hired a bunch of craftsmen to create the things that were in Da Vinci's journals and … [Continue reading] about Creative Space in a Busy Life
In the quiet, early hours of the morning, or late at night when the world is asleep, many of us find ourselves indulging in the dream of writing that novel. You know, that one that's been simmering in the back of our minds for years. We imagine our … [Continue reading] about The Dream of Writing a Novel
I had lunch with a writer friend a while back who had finished her novel and was preparing to query agents. She was understandably nervous about putting her work out into the world and was working really hard to get everything (synopsis, query … [Continue reading] about You Have to Ask
Used to be, I didn't handle rejection very well. Used to be, this was what I looked like when I got a rejection letter. But it has gotten better. These days, when I get a rejection letter, I also get a high-five from my husband. Rejection … [Continue reading] about How to Handle Rejection