Tag Archives: novels

Showing Emotion in Your Characters

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

I have been complimented frequently on the emotional intensity of the characters and story lines in my novels. But after reading a blog post by C.S. Lakin, complete with examples of good and better ways to draw the reader into … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Editing, Writing | Tagged emotions, Feelings, grief, loss, novels, show don't tell, writing | Leave a comment

Literary Potholes in the Road

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

It has been nearly two months since my search for an agent or publisher began for Gram & Me. I have received 22 rejections, most of which were in response to a query letter only, or a query letter plus … Continue reading →

Posted in Agents, Best Sellers, Blogs, Publishing, Writing | Tagged agents, attitude, authors, Books, critiques, New Novelists, novels, Perseverence, Publishing, writers, writing | 3 Comments

WHAT GENRE IS IT?

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Yes, I know it’s not my usual day for posting. But I have a busy week ahead, and a poor track record for posting in the midst of competing demands. Did I really miss posting last week? Yes. But I … Continue reading →

Posted in Agents, Blogs, Books, Publishing, Writing | Tagged agents, book promotion, Books, genre, novels, publisher, query letters, writing | 4 Comments

WHAT IS “ALONE?”

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

I have stretches of time when I am unsociable. Well, that’s not accurate. On those days, I don’t lie around watching TV, eating junk food, and ignoring the phone when it rings. Usually on my alone days I’m writing my … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Books, Psychology, Time, Writing | Tagged Alone, Antisocial, attitude, Feelings, Leisure, Loneliness, marriage, novels, Relationships, Time, writing | 4 Comments

TIME FLIES…AGAIN!

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Is today really Wednesday? Because when I woke up yesterday, I could have sworn it was Monday, so today should be Tuesday, the day of each week when I post something new. Alas, the folks on three TV stations, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Agents, Blogs, Books, Goals, Publishing, Women's Fiction, Writing | Tagged attitude, authors, Books, ebooks, novels, patience, Publishers, Publishing, writers, writing | Leave a comment

What to Write Next?

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

So I finished Gram & Me, as I mentioned a few posts back. I packaged multiple queries to agents, and already my confidence is waning, even though it has only been a week. I should be ecstatic – although I … Continue reading →

Posted in Dancing, Manuscripts, Uncategorized, Women's Fiction, Writing | Tagged authors, Book reviews, Dancing, feedback, novels, writing | Leave a comment

In Search of The Right Agent

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

Ah, the long and winding road to agent representation. And people think running for President is tough? A little background: my first two novels Autumn Colors and In Her Mother’s Shoes, were self-published because of my inability/failure to secure an … Continue reading →

Posted in Agents, Autumn Colors, Blogs, Books, Dreams, Editing, In Her Mother's Shoes, Manuscripts, Publishing, Social Media, Uncategorized, Women's Fiction, Writing | Tagged agents, attitude, authors, Autumn Colors, book promotion, Books, Editing, In Her Mother's Shoes, novels, Publishers, Publishing, Traditional Publishers, writers, writing | Leave a comment

CAN YOU DO TOO MANY REWRITES?

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

When you finish a manuscript, the hard work is just beginning. I wrote last week about my experience with coming full circle with critiques and rewrites of my opening pages of Gram & Me. Three critiques, three resulting re-writes, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs, Book Reviews, Book Sales, Books, Editing, Manuscripts, Publishing, Women's Fiction, Writing | Tagged agents, authors, Books, Editing, novels, Publishers, Publishing, rewrites, writers, writing | 2 Comments

WHO’S ON FIRST? The Down Side of Having your Writing Critiqued

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

I’ve written several posts over the years on the value of having your work critiqued. And I still believe it is important to have objective readers—particularly those who are in the publishing industry and understand what agents and publishers are … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing, Manuscripts, Publishing, Reading, Women's Fiction, Writing | Tagged agents, attitude, authors, Book reviews, Books, critiques, Editing, novels, Publishers, Publishing, rewriting, writers, writing | 2 Comments

THE JOY OF COMPLETING A NOVEL

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Dawn Essegian Lajeunesse

I’ve been working on Gram & Me for over two years. I thought, once I retired, that I’d pump out a new manuscript at least every year, if not every six months. I certainly have enough ideas to keep them … Continue reading →