April Davila - Author
Remember this photo? A few months ago, a friend of mine suggested that she and I commit to finishing our novels this spring and that we put some money on the line for motivation. $1,000 to be exact. We wrote each other checks in that amount, dated … [Continue reading] about Writing a Novel is Hard
I've been thinking a lot about descriptive writing lately. Since I've culled the feedback from my beta readers and am making a final pass on my manuscript, I am making a real attempt to look at my sentences with a fresh and honest eye. Do they … [Continue reading] about Descriptive Writing
Something has shifted in my house. I don't know if it's a diet thing, or the fact that water is falling from the sky (rain is not something we're used to here in Los Angeles), but for some mysterious reason my kids have started waking up between 5:30 … [Continue reading] about Help! The Kids are Invading my Writing Time
A while back, I wrote a post about my experiences teaching writing to a team of engineers. The class reminded me just how many smart, capable people out there simply haven't had a grammar review in a couple decades and it inspired me … [Continue reading] about A Basic Grammar Review for Anyone Wanting to Present Ideas Clearly
If you've read my blog for any period of time, you know I'm all about setting goals, lots of writerly goals. Goals help me to know I'm making progress and they help me to push myself. I find that my short-term goals are particularly important, as the … [Continue reading] about Writerly Goals for 2017 (and What They’re Going to Cost Me)
Would you like to write more? If you're a writer, the answer is probably yes. (If you're not a writer, what are you doing here? You should be watching this.) Imagine you could eek out 350 more words a day. That's not so much, right? Most writers … [Continue reading] about 10 Simple Ways to Write More
I read fifty-seven books this year. Many were new publications, but just as many were not. Of those fifty-seven, ten grabbed my attention in that way I'm always hoping a book will. Here, in no particular order, and in no way respecting the tyranny of … [Continue reading] about Ten Amazing Books