This isn’t my idea — I saw it on Pinterest. In 2015, I tried to write down something that happened that made me happy every day, along with the date, and put it in a jar. On New Year’s Eve, Mr. Donovan and I read through them all. I didn’t actually do it every day. I wrote down maybe 50
Author: Bryn Donovan
Hey friends! Here are three books that I enjoyed lately! The science one took me a while to read because I took so many notes. I always take at least a few notes on the books I read so that I can remember them better, and I have a new journal for all the books I read in 2016. Here’s
I think this happens to most of us: we set New Year’s resolutions, or set a big new goal for ourselves. And then, things go awry. Maybe something happens in the world that upsets us for days, or something in our personal life throws us way off course. Maybe our plans don’t seem off to a great start. Numbers don’t budge,
Note: this post was originally part of a writing series, and some comments may refers to that. Some people hate plotting. They often call themselves “pantsers,” because they write by the seat of their pants. Many people who hate to plot ahead say that they want to be able to discover things along the way. Well, guess what – when
Sometimes it’s hard to know how to start a story, and that’s why I pulled together these opening scene examples. I’m going to talk a little more about first scenes than first lines, though I’ll mention some first lines, too. These are only some of the many good ways to start a novel. I know it can be hard to figure
Hi friends! On the first Wednesday of every month, I share an excerpt of what I’m working on and invite you to do the same. It’s okay if it’s rough! Mine will always be! It’s great to leave encouraging comments, but don’t critique anyone’s work, unless they specifically request it. This is sharing time, not uninvited beta reader time. (It is never uninvited
Mr. Donovan and I usually spend the holiday break in Phoenix, where his parents and many of his siblings live. This year, after Christmas, we headed up into the mountains of Flagstaff, AZ with a few of his siblings and their kids, so that the kids could go sledding. Unfortunately, northern Arizona didn’t get as much snow as predicted. We drove