What I’ve Learned

The last two months have been a whirlwind of learning. Not only did I have major surgery (and today I’m prepping for another diagnostic procedure) and sent my kids off to online school in their bedrooms, but my friend and I have built a new writing empire.

Okay, maybe empire is an exaggeration. Let’s go with kingdom.

Welcome to the kingdom of Vanilla Grass. (Next month, we’ll shoot for empire.)

Experts define the smell of old books as a combination of Vanilla and Grass so naturally, with my super picky nose and Carolyn’s love of plants, we combined them into a One-Stop Writer’s Resource webpage.

But two months ago, I didn’t know:

How to build a website.

Or how to write SEO efficient blogposts (I’m taking a break from that here).

How to run a giveaway via King Sumo.

Or how to use Davinci Resolve and create YouTube videos.

Vanilla Grass writers motivation
I took this picture in my pajamas one morning when the light was right.

In two months Carolyn and I have created color schemes, logos, pictures, blog posts, edited other writers’ first pages, installed apps, deleted horrible apps, launched advertising campaigns, AND lured other writers into following us. Not bad for 2020. Oh, and we’re also working on our own writing projects.

My WIP

Writing during COVID with all of my kids at home has been an adventure and at times, I thought I’d never get anything done. But my WIP is complete and ready to query. I wrote a little about the method I used with alpha readers in a post on Vanilla Grass.

A round of hard-core edits for flow, emotions, and descriptions.

This was one of the most helpful reviews:

You are a really, really good author. You made me feel the emotions. I cried a lot at the beginning and the end. You had really strong characters and growth. The tension and drama were felt. I would read it again and again. Even knowing the big reveal.

-Anonymous Reader

I love that review. I love my book. And oddly, I love running a website. And I’m excited and ready for the adventures that lie ahead. I’m so grateful for all that I’ve learned.