By Penny Reeve There are days when being a writer is amazing! We write wonderful words. Lots of them. We make connections with an agent or publisher. They request our manuscript. Our beta readers love our writing. Our blog followers double. We attend conferences and come away with new friends,…

By Penny Reeve Dear Writer, Have you met Discouragement yet? I have. She hovers close by the door of my office. She twiddles her fingers by my lounge. She stares over my shoulder as I brush my teeth and whispers ‘Why bother?’ or ‘You’re not good enough’ or ‘Just give…

By Penny Reeve I’m a children’s writer. Always have been, always plan to be, because I believe writing for children is some of the most important writing an author can do. BUT… Not all writers’ conferences cater specifically to children’s writers. And if they do, they are often few and…

By Penny Reeve I wonder, did you set writing goals at the start of the year? And if you did, have you had a chance to take stock and review them yet?  The planner I use regularly incorporates a review process as part of its core features. Because of this,…

By Penny Reeve My memories of starting out as a writer feel very isolated.  I remember a stack of ‘How To Write’ books from the library, a notebook of story fragments and a mountain ideas. But when it came down to it, there was just me.  I didn’t know anyone…

By Penny Reeve Trying new things as a writer can be scary. I’ve had some experience with this over the years, and especially this year. You see, until now I’ve been a traditionally published author and I’ve been thankful for it. I value the relationships I have with my publishers:…