April Davila - Author
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
Last week, I picked up my son from school and he sprung one of those last-minute requests on me, like kids do: "Mom, I need a book on Leonardo da Vinci - by tomorrow." The timing couldn't have been worse. We had a long drive home and would only just … [Continue reading] about Librarians: The Unsung Heroes of Our Communities
Three years ago, Kensington Books released my debut novel, "142 Ostriches." It was February of 2020 and if you didn't read any of the great reviews it's probably because there was another story dominating the news cycle... Because of COVID I didn't … [Continue reading] about Celebrating Three Years of “142 Ostriches” (and some exciting news)