Passive and unnecessary words

by Shana Norris // June 25, 2006 // Comments off

I always have to make sure I search my manuscripts for the word was. I don’t think that it has to be taken out in every situation, but I do use it way too often. From today’s editing: “Hey!” I... Continue reading →

Approaching the first hurdle

by Shana Norris // June 22, 2006 // Comments off

I always feel a bit of relief when I break the 10,000 word mark in a project. It’s like if I get to 10,000 words then I believe I can keep going to the end. Of course, I feel even... Continue reading →

Starting anew

by Shana Norris // June 8, 2006 // Comments off

That first blank page is always a bit overwhelming. Girlfriend was my fourth complete YA book in the last two years. I’ve also written a 300,000 word fantasy trilogy. Plus the multitude of things I wrote during childhood and my... Continue reading →

Ready to go

by Shana Norris // May 27, 2006 // Comments off

I heard back from my agent yesterday. He liked my revisions for Libby and now…it’s ready to go out to editors! I am so nervous and so excited at the same time. I was telling my husband last night that... Continue reading →

Moving forward

by Shana Norris // May 26, 2006 // Comments off

It’s back to writing for me. I’ve spent this week focusing on revisions for Libby and Emma and did no writing on Girlfriend at all. But Libby has been completed and sent back to my agent, and Emma is now... Continue reading →

The middle-grades

by Shana Norris // May 22, 2006 // Comments off

I’m finally listening to the voice that has been in the back of my head since I first started writing Band Geeks: I think the story will work better as a middle-grade rather than YA. I’m doing other editing right... Continue reading →

News!

by Shana Norris // May 20, 2006 // Comments off

Clearly my cat Elmo is so excited about my getting an awesome agent that he’s celebrating with shoes. (He’s been cuddling up to my shoe and pushing it all around the laundry room floor all day. It also happens to... Continue reading →

Ideas, or “How did you come up with that?”

by Shana Norris // May 15, 2006 // Comments off

My fifteen-year-old cousin is running for parliamentarian of her school’s student council. (There are only four weeks left of school, but they do the elections for the next school year at the end of the current school year.) Since I... Continue reading →

Snowflakes in May

by Shana Norris // May 7, 2006 // Comments off

I’ve always been one of those non-outline writers. I’ve heard several different names for it. Organic writer. “Fly by the seat of your pants” writer. Whatever you call it, I’ve always been the kind of writer that just sits down... Continue reading →

Goals for 2006

by Shana Norris // January 11, 2006 // Comments off

-Update my blog more often. Yeah. -Finish first drafts of three YA books. I wrote three last year, I can do it again! -Reach final draft of Emma’s book. -Do at least one revision of Band Geeks. -Keep sending out... Continue reading →