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Holiday Game School
Does Christmas break have you worried about brain drain and video game stupor of your homeschool students? How can one homeschool and break at the same time? Let me introduce you to Game-Schooling. Christmas break offers solace for students. This midyear recharge comes at a much needed time. The first semester is wrapped up, for better or worse, and the second is yet to peek around the corner. However, for students in higher grades, the break often is accompanied by homework and projects. With groans and grunts and remembrances of past years and the freedom, December used to offer students and parent/teachers often plug away and ignore the needling necessity of rest.…
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Editing for Indie Writers
So, you wrote a book. It’s beautiful. It’s fabulous. It’s your paper and ink pride and joy. What do you do now? You want the world to see your precious creation. You want to let it out among the mainstream to do good things and inspire greatness. The only problem, it’s a little on the raggedy side. You know you’re content rocks. You’ve been trusting the Lord every step of the way and you’ve followed His guidance with near fearlessness. You want the public to see your literary little one at its best. But a good editor or proofreader can set you back $400-$1500. You’re not doing the work solely…
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Find Your Writer Mojo
Don't feel like writing? Love to write but don't want to make it a burden? Find and create your writer mojo.
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Write Along With Me
Come write-along with me, no bra required. Pijama clad welcomed. Coffee consumption is encouraged. The writers I know, in person and online, tend toward the introverted and private side of the street. I can be loud and boisterous if there’s a purpose to it and it’s necessary but I prefer to be still and quiet at home, among a handful of intimates and laughing at our inside jokes. As such, you can find me, quite often, typing silently at my laptop listening to the happy sounds of my children talking to each other. However, this does little to uplift and motivate me to write during heavy and inspiration dry seasons. At…
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Newbie Author Successes
This post might contain affiliate links. Just thought you’d like to know. The first year of author life is hard. In fact, it can be downright shocking. But don’t be discouraged. Royalties and reviews aren’t the only way to mark your success, as a writer. 1- New Contacts Writing and publishing cannot be accomplished on one’s own. There are cover designers, editors, reviewers, formatters, readers, lovers, haters… the list goes on and on. Behind each job lies a person. I know it’s strange. But a real, live human being is on the other end of your emails and job offers. Even the most introverted of writers must branch out and…
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Newbie Author Struggles
This post may contain affiliate links. Just thought you’d like to know. Once upon a time, waiting in my inbox, I was summoned to attend a webinar on how to publish a book. I’ve always loved to write. But once I birthed my littles, helping them grow closer to Christ became my passion and I forgot all about my once favorite past time. The seminar rekindled my literary love and I felt inspired to write. Fast forward and here I sit, an author. 1 year old and growing. But the writing business wasn’t the glamour parade I’d imagined it would be. Here are my top four struggles during my first…
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Writer Hacks (Crazy Things I Do)
The blank page aka the white nightmare. On parchment, the lines mock my lax beginnings. On the screen, the cursor blinks explicit expostulations. Like most writers, my brain is near bursting with ideas, worlds, people, and situations. Mine struggle to exit my person and live their own lives. Keeping these imaginary friends at bay tends to feed, only, my insomnia. However, when faced with time and the energy to create, these pals grow fickle and flee into the recesses of my brain. How do I get them to come out? How do I encourage them the play nicely? How do I keep them from stomping all over my compositions? Every…
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My Official Nano 2018 Coffee
As the name of my blog suggests, I love coffee. Unfortunately, as a wife, mama, homeschooler, tutor, writer and more, the first cup of coffee I get to finish from sniffed to sipped comes during the late night hours. Thus the Late Night modifier of Coffee Moms. During an anniversary outing, I discovered my new favorite brew. Today I’m declaring it my official brew of Nanowrimo 2018. At least as far as this mom is concerned. Let me introduce you to Abide Coffee Roasters. Abide is a family run business. Their coffee yummy, satisfying, and smooth. It offers a mouthful of flavor with warm dark chocolate undertones. It inspires me…
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Outlining Season
September is a busy month in my household. Homeschool begins, birthdays are celebrated, and tutoring goes into full mode. Little writing occurs during this very frantic month of settling in. The focus falls on routines and finding the school year’s groove. October is mostly recovery from September’s madness. But it’s also time to outline. As November comes, Nanowrimo approaches. In a few days, the writing feast will begin. 50,000 words are the goal. The time limit: the month of November. My first Nano I was utterly unprepared. I prepped out a rough outline two nights before the event. That meant I was flying by the seat of my pants. This is…
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Dyslexia Awareness Discount
October is dyslexia awareness month. Being a family dealing with the disability, I couldn’t be left out of the celebration. Yes, dyslexia difficult to master. We have days of clamorous victory and days we’re barely staving off defeat. Reading feels impossible. Catching up is the normal. But dyslexia isn’t all gloom. The dyslexics I’ve encountered have grit. They have spunk and determination. They can see into problems and through issues without a double glance. Dyslexics are inventive problem solvers and compassionate creatives. If you have a dyslexic in your life, give them a squeeze and cheer them on. To celebrate my book Diary of a Dyslexic Homeschooler will be on…
