I’ve thought a lot about the 2018 Diversity in Children’s Books infographic since it was published in June 2019. I put together a Twitter thread about my thoughts on it this past spring, but given the important conversations we’re having (i.e., finally paying attention to) about diverse representation in publishing, I wanted to share my…
Category: Journaralities
Nurturing Non-Writing Hobbies
By a show of hands, who here today is a writer who fits their passion for storytelling into the spare spaces of their life? *raises hand* Yeah, me too! In fact, there was a time when writing was ALL I did during my free time because it was all I wanted to do. I was…
“But I Did Do Stuff!” A Tale of My Blog Absence
Well, hello there. It’s been a hot minute since I last posted. And by minute, I mean months. Three of them. Three months since I’ve put up anything new on my blog, which might not seem like that long of a time gap to some (I mean, there are blogs out there that have been…
Why I Don’t Review Books as a Writer
One of the most important ways to support an author—aside from buying their book—is to review the book online at sites like Goodreads, Amazon, or LibraryThing. Reviews give books “street cred” in that the more reads and valid reviews a book has, the more it appeals to potential readers as a quality published work. Of…
Defining Your Success as a Writer
When you imagine yourself as a successful author, what do you see? A popular genre franchise that begets movie deals and amusement parks? The phrases “critically-acclaimed novelist” or “bestselling author” in front of your name? A modest yet solid reputation as a prolific indie author? Your name on the byline of a few literary magazines?…
Escaping Writer’s Tunnel Vision
A few years ago, I wrote a book that was everything. It was brilliant and compelling, imaginative and fun, heart-wrenching and heartwarming. I just knew this book was going to get me everything authors want and expect for their creative work: a fawning agent, a lucrative publishing deal, credibility as a bona fide children’s author,…
Little Victories Deserve a Blog Post, Too!
‘Tis the season for obligatory social media posts and articles that offer up MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS of 2019 and LIFE-CHANGING RESOLUTIONS of 2020. Be honest—how many have you come across so far? Too many? Have you reached “list” overload? Can you stomach one more? I promise, mine is different. Mine is about celebrating the little things,…
It’s Whatever the Reason Season!
Several years ago, a coworker and I were discussing our plans for the upcoming holidays. I mentioned that, although I was agnostic, I still celebrated Christmas out of a sense of tradition. I come from a large family (eight kids), and Christmas was a major affair in our household. All the usual practices—tree and house…
The Value of Writing Groups
I recently attended a holiday party where I chatted with a fellow author on all manner of writerly things. We found our writing journeys and experiences differed in several ways. He’s a full-time novelist while I squeeze writing into the spare hours around my 9-to-5 muggle job. He’s been represented by multiple agents throughout his…
We See What We are Conditioned to See
I finally watched that Peloton ad—you know, the one that has everyone in an uproar—and . . . I don’t get it. I mean, I understand why people find certain aspects of it nettlesome. Some are bothered by the implied degrading message of a woman being gifted a piece of exercise equipment for Christmas by…
D.M. Domosea 