First Draft Words & Writers United
What are your first draft words? Every time I start a first draft I want to die, because its bad… really, really bad. It is full of lazy verbs, vague descriptions, and brimming with first draft words. First draft words are crutch words–the words I use to get me into a scene or get two […]
Stealth Edits at Writers United
If you would like the chance to get five pages of your work edited, for free, by me, here’s what you need to do: 1) Join my writer email list. 2) Format your work in standard manuscript formatting. 3) Print a copy 4) Write the secret code word: BREATHER on your submission. (Hand write it, […]
Want to meet some Kansas City Writers? Save the Dates!
I’m excited to be partnering with the Johnson County, KS Library for Writers United! Our amazing library is making it a little easier for writers to find one another by having monthly writer meet-ups this summer, and they were kind enough to invite me to be a guest host. If you’re in the KC area […]
Let’s work together! Apply by February 15, 2019 for spring coaching session.
2019 feels full of potential and unexpected surprises, just like that book you’ve been working on. Now’s the time to polish your manuscript and build your writing support system. You can do both in my spring coaching session. (Learn the full details here.) The session runs March 15th-July 15th and includes: One full developmental edit […]
FREE writers conference Nov 1-4 at the Jo. Co. KS Library & I’m Presenting!
In October of 2015, I took the opening pages of The Color Eater to The Johnson County Library. The library was hosting an entirely free writers’ conference, and one of the sessions involved group critiques of your work. Those critiques helped me fine tune the opening scene, the scene I sent in to Kneerim & […]
I’m so excited to be a mentor for 2018’s YA4YA project!
Writing is hard. Publishing is a whole different kind of hard. Doing them both at the same time can feel pretty impossible, especially if you haven’t yet found your writer community. But, once you find your writer friends, writing and publishing feels a lot more possible, and sometimes exciting, and occasionally it will even be […]
A Jessica real-talk type interview on the Lit KC podcast with Jason Preu
Not going to lie, Jason Preu is one of my all time favorite writers. The fact he happens to live in my same town, and I’m lucky enough to call him a friend is mind blowing. He’s the only poet on earth that I religiously read. He also happens to be the host of the […]
It’s Time for the LitUp Festival-Saturday 5/12/2018
Join me May 12th, 2018 at the Mid-Continent Public Library’s LitUp Festival. This all-day literary event was designed with teens in mind. I love when young fans get direct access to the creative minds that inspire them, and that’s exactly how MCPL set up the day. Teens are staffing the event and interviewing all of […]
My final issue of Kansas City Voices
I’ve signed off on the galleys for my final issue of Kansas City Voices magazine, and we should have it back from the printer in early October. The official launch party is Saturday, October 28th, 2017 from 5-7 p.m. at The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, MO, 64111. I’m proud of the work […]
Join Me at Johnson County Library’s 2017 Writers Conference
I love our libraries in Kansas City! The KCMO Public library was the master minds behind the day I got to talk to George R.R. Martin. And, now the Johnson County Library is hosting another FREE writers conference. I attended the conference last year and participated in one of the critique sessions. I took the […]
