Tag Archives: writing

It’s Day 16 of the Writer Friends Challenge!

Day 16 – What’s your favorite thing about being a writer: There are a lot of things I love about my job, not the least of which is the fact that I get to tell all the stories that are swirling around in my head! I think at this point in my life, though, my favorite thing has to be the flexibility. While I do have a set schedule for my workday, I can move it around a bit to accommodate a sick kid who needs to stay home or an appointment I need to make. It’s not always easy to work from home, honestly, but I have to be grateful for those kinds of benefits!

If you’re a writer, what do you love about it? Don’t forget to check out my giveaway happening this month!

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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois.  She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University.  Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective.  Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous.  Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world.  You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please consider using my links to do your shopping and help me out at no extra cost to you!

It’s Day 15 of the Writer Friends Challenge! I managed to miss a few days, but I’m back!

Day 15 – Who is your ideal reader: While I obviously would want everyone who’s willing to read my work, I’d say my idea reader is someone who loves that little spark of magic in the ordinary. My favorite story to write is one where an ordinary life is suddenly turned upside down by something completely unexpected. If that’s what you like, then I’m the author for you!

What kind of reader are you? Don’t forget to check out my giveaway happening this month!

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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois.  She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University.  Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective.  Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous.  Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world.  You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please consider using my links to do your shopping and help me out at no extra cost to you!

It’s Day 10 of the Writer Friends Challenge!

Day 10 – Plotter or Pantser: I am 100% a plotter! When I was very young and was desperate to write something longer than a short story, I dove in with Chapter 1 of my novel. I made it into about two chapters, and then I just had no clue what was going to happen after that. I put that story aside for a shockingly long time before I figured out that writing an outline made a world of difference! That’s not to say some things don’t still happen on the fly, and I’m always happy to compensate for the changes that my characters demand, but I really love outlines. It’s like planning a road trip. You’ve got to know where you’re going! You might stop off to see something wild along the way, but how else are you going to know if you should turn right or left out of your driveway?

What about you? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois.  She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University.  Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective.  Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous.  Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world.  You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please consider using my links to do your shopping and help me out at no extra cost to you!

It’s Day 9 of the Writer Friends Challenge!

Day 9 – Share a favorite author quote: Douglas Adams, the amazing author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and many more great comedic sci-fi books, has been a big influence in my writing life. I don’t necessarily write in his style or genre, but I’ve absolutely adored his books. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from him:

“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”

While obviously we all have to deal with deadlines of some sort, I think it’s a fantastic reminder that we all have to write at our own pace. We must do what our story demands!

Do you have a favorite author quote?

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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois.  She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University.  Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective.  Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous.  Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world.  You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please consider using my links to do your shopping and help me out at no extra cost to you!

It’s Day 8 of the Writer Friends Challenge!

Day 7 – Share a Writer Tool or Tip: This is actually a really easy one, because I’m constantly building a great tool that I’m happy to share! Just check out my Writers’ Resources page for information on world and character building, freelancing, and other writing tips.

Do you have a favorite website for writing tips?

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Ashley O’Melia is an independent author and freelancer from Southern Illinois.  She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University.  Her books include The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keepingand The Graveside Detective.  Her short stories have been published in The Penmen Review, Siren’s Call, and Subcutaneous.  Ashley’s freelance work has spanned numerous genres for clients around the world.  You can find her on Facebook and Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please consider using my links to do your shopping and help me out at no extra cost to you!