Other

Welcome to the “Other” page where I will provide two types of resources for you to enjoy. The top half is for readers and the bottom half is for readers and writers.

Readers

Do you love science fiction and fantasy as much as I do? Check out these books that I’ve read and enjoyed.

Writers

Are you also a writer? Below you will find books I’ve used to help improve my writing, publishing, and marketing techniques. I also have links to other websites I’ve used (below the books), some with just information and some that provide services to help writers. Plus, I’ve included links so you can download some of my own writing notes.

My stages for writing:
First draft – This usually takes place in November during NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month).
Second draft – This is a 4-6 month process where I review the story, consider what needs to be fixed, and rewrite the draft accordingly. I’m usually much more careful during this second draft than I am in the first draft.
Development editor – This is where I have a professional look at my overall story and tell me where it can be improved. They tell me when the story lags, where it needs more action, where the plot falls apart, and other broad-scope story concerns.
Third Draft – This is where I revise the story based on development editor feedback.
Beta readers – This is where I have 3-5 beta readers read the story and point out mistakes, confusing parts, and other smaller story elements that could be improved. Some of my beta readers are good at noticing technical mistakes while others are good at pointing out where sentences could be worded better.
Fourth draft – This is where I revise the story based on beta reader feedback.
First edit – This is where I use my own editing list to fix common mistakes I know I make, such as misuse of the word lie vs lay or when I use the word that too much. A link to my editing list will be posted soon.
Second edit – This is where I use ProWritingAid to point out things I have a hard time discovering for myself. This editing program covers so much more than simple editing mistakes. It tells you when you repeat words too often (called echoes), when you use too many common adjectives that can be discarded and replaced with better and tighter words, when your sentences have too many filler words (called glue index), where pacing can be improved, and so much more. I highly recommend this program.

Third edit – This is where I hire a professional. Her name is Grace Bridges and she helps me find when my tenses are wrong, when I’ve accidently missed a word, when I use the wrong words, and so much more. Don’t count on Word or other editing programs to find all the mistakes. A real set of professional eyes goes a long way. Why do I go through the first and second editing processes when I hire a professional? Because my professional editor charges so much less when she doesn’t have as many mistakes to point out. And despite how much self-editing I do, she still finds mistakes. I don’t know what I’d do without her.
Formatting for Kindle and paperback – This is the final step before publishing. A link to my Kindle and paperback formats will be posted soon. This will allow you to copy and paste your own manuscript in so you can download to Amazon KDP for publishing. I believe these formats will also work on other platforms, but you will want to look to make sure.

More to come! This page is still under construction.

Please note that some of these links are associate links, meaning I earn a few cents if you click on and buy them. This page isn’t about making money, though. You won’t find anything here that I haven’t enjoyed or benefited from for myself.