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Writing Away
I haven’t been as diligent about writing for my blog as I have been in the past. It makes me feel a little guilty, because I’ve always put so much energy and time into my blog. However, there are good reasons for my absence, so allow me to explain: The semester ended in mid-May. I can honestly say that after working in education throughout a pandemic and teaching a full load + of courses online, it was more challenging than normal. Obviously, we have all been affected by this situation and our work lives were altered quite a bit, but the energy it took to produce, deliver, and grade remotely…
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Little Milestones Receives 5-Star Review from Readers’ Favorite
*** One of the things I won’t ever do on my blog is to pretend that being an independent author is at all glamorous. It’s not. It takes tireless work, both on the creating/writing/editing side, as well as on the marketing/public relations/promotions side. It can be an exhausting adventure—and it is most definitely an adventure every single time—but you have to know this going into the endeavor. And never expect too much. That said, you can imagine my surprise this morning, when I was already feeling down about where my next piece of writing is headed, to see the 5-star review for Little Milestones, a novel a published in October…
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Sundays Are for Stories
✨FROM MY PORCH OFFICE✨ This is what Sunday morning writing looks like here at the Verni house. As I’m now officially over 33,000 words of building this story—probably my most complicated story to create to date—I am feeling the hum of the characters, the movement of the story, the connection of my 5 characters, and the way this story will end up. It’s a great feeling to know you’re on track with the story you want to tell—that the characters are yearning for you to tell. . I write relationship-driven fiction. It comes from a place of understanding the nuances of people and what potentially drives them (or does not…
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Podcast 15: Committing to Your Blog
* As authors, it’s important that we stay connected to our audiences. Blogging allows us to do just that. On a blog platform, we can connect with readers, showcase our work, and share other experiences that allow readers to get to know us. For all these reasons and more, it’s important to blog. Today’s podcast covers just that. I welcome comments, suggestions, and feedback on today’s topic. I don’t claim to know everything about blogging, but I do know that I’ve been keeping up with Steph’s Scribe since 2011, and it’s become a part of me. I’d like to share my thoughts with you in today’s podcast. Be well, all!…
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Dear Fellow Writers
Dear Fellow Writers, Here’s a list of the things we do as independent authors: -write our books -edit our books -publish our books -promote our books -attend book signings -attend book talks -visit book clubs -blog -enter writing contests -support other indie authors -build an author platform -curate social media posts -network with others -create a podcast -join a writing group -learn photography -begin a new story -start all over In addition, we also read a lot. And some of us have full-time and/or part-time jobs. Fellow writers, what am I missing? There’s so much that we do. The list is long, and quite diverse, But I’m sure I forgot…
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Dealing with Disappointment
After watching Brene Brown’s Ted Talks, other videos, and reading her books, I’ve decided to just be vulnerable (which isn’t my strong suit) and say that I’m dealing with a bit of disappointment over here. The world of being an independent author is not always kind, nor is it always fun. My latest book, Little Milestones, a follow-up book to Inn Significant, is not faring well at all on Amazon. I have two reviews. I work hard busting my butt on Instagram and Facebook to try to ascertain readers and ask for help with reviews online, but it can be tiring. Exhausting. It can depress the soul, to be frank.…
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Podcast 6 – Joining a Writers Group
I did something new, you guys. I joined a writers group (and got new glasses…but it’s the writing group I want to talk about). It’s a blissful thought to me: a bunch of people who love writing talking about writing. Truthfully, I’ve wanted to join a writers group for a while, and the time has come for me. It’s time to be inspired by others, work with others, share ideas with others, and brainstorm with others who enjoy writing. Our first meeting energized me last night, and you may be able to hear the level of enthusiasm I’m feeling in today’s podcast. But we could use some help: if you…
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Podcast 5 – Clearing Your Head, Work Space, and Thinking About POV
Today’s Podcast #5 covers the need to clear your head before beginning a new project, along with the reasons to clear your workspace. I touch on these two motivators and then roll right into deciding how your narrative is going to take hold. Which point of view is right for your story? Sharing some thoughts on that and why you should think about this now…to avoid a lot of additional reworking down the road. Enjoy! Xx, Stephanie * Stephanie Verni is Professor of Communication at Stevenson University. She has authored five works of fiction and one academic text on Event Planning. Her character-driven books are typically set in Maryland to…
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What I Didn’t Say About Life as an Author
Last night, I was honored to have been asked to do a book talk at my local library in Severna Park. I gave a little background on my writing, shared my books, and talked about what it’s like to be an indie author. I said a lot. I answered questions. I was positive. But there was much that I didn’t say…and I feel obligated to share it here. Full disclosure. Complete honesty. So, here it goes. What I didn’t say was… I didn’t say how hard it is to wake up every day and be consumed by what you can do to sell one book. Just one. I didn’t say…
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Podcast 2 – Who Inspires Your Writing?
* Today, we’ll be talking on the podcast about other writers who inspire you writing. If you’re a writer, listen to the podcast and then do the assignment I’m giving you at the end of the podcast. It will help you start to focus. It will also help you find the “why” behind what you want to do. Ever since I read Simon Sinek’s book a few years ago titled Start With Why, I began to look at everything I do in a different way. If I can’t identify my why, then maybe, perhaps, I don’t do it. But starting with this idea of your own inspiration is certainly…
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Well, it’s been a while…
I just opened up my blog to check the date of my last blog posting. It was almost a month ago on September 3. I’ve been a little MIA on this platform, something I’ve dedicated myself to since 2011 by making the commitment to posting a minimum of once a week. For the last several weeks, I’ve broken that promise to myself. Believe me when I say my absence was not intentional, it’s just that I didn’t know what to say or what to write about over the course of the last month. I’ve been preoccupied with the deaths of people we cared for, along with getting back into the…
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Finding Inspiration
As someone who writes fiction as my side job, I seek inspiration, either from other people or from places. Additionally, as a writer who is about to publish my 4th novel, I use places almost as I use characters in my novel—they must have a personality and purpose. Setting is very important to me, and getting a handle on that place requires me to do some digging and exploring. Next month, I will launch my newest novel, LITTLE MILESTONES, set in St. Michaels, Maryland, a place I love visit when I need to get away from the rat race of life. It’s only a little over an hour away from…
