Laura Bowers

I must admit: The title alone was the first thing that drew me to Unfuck Yourself, by Gary John Bishop. Those who know me well knows how f***ed up I’ve been with my writing for the past six years after Just Flirt came out. Actually, the few people who have been reading this blog for any amount of time has most likely come to that conclusion as well. I won’t get into a long, boring story about why I’ve fallen into a major writing slump … that’s a tale for a different day. Instead, I’ll just summarize by saying every writer has mental demons.

Mine have been winning. Like, seriously winning. [continue reading…]

So this past Tuesday, I did something that I haven’t done in a long, long time: I FINISHED A MANUSCRIPT!!! Maybe this doesn’t sound like a big deal since I’ve already published two novels, (also a long, long time ago,) but to me, it’s MAJOR. Finishing a novel has been on my quarterly goals list for … wow, years. The mid-grade novel I’ve just finished, Heroes, Wish, and Trailer Park Hitches, showed up on this year’s first quarter as well as my 2017 Third Quarter list. Completing A Year of Happy Endings was on my 2017 Second Quarter post over at Joyful Miles plus this novel made it on my 2017 First Quarter as well.

But no matter how much I claimed writing as being my number one goal … I just. Couldn’t. Finish. ANYTHING. [continue reading…]

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve blogged so jumping back in with this flash fiction post seems odd. But considering all the changes I’ve been making in my life … it also feels oddly right. More on those changes later. For now, I’m getting back into the habit of daily writing exercises, some of which I’ll share here in the spirit of poops and giggles. [continue reading…]

HAPPY NEW YEAR, I’m wishing you a wonderful 2018! Today, I’m setting the tone for my 2018 by doing things I want to do more of throughout the year such as writing, running, spending time with my family and reading. Another must is setting up my Happy Planner and starting a new Bullet Journal and Morning Pages journal.

I just love having a fresh slate! [continue reading…]

We each have that book, the one novel we could read over and over without growing tired of it. The one with characters we have grown to adore, who feel like family and every time you open the cover to the first page, it feels like coming home.

For me, that book will always be Hope Was Here, by Joan Bauer. Before reading it for the first time, I felt lost as a writer, not sure which genre my voice belonged in or what kind of books I wanted to write. Back then, I dabbled with women’s contemporary stories, murder mysteries, and picture books but nothing felt right. The young adult section in my local bookstore was one I rarely visited, so I can’t quite remember what made me pick up Hope Was Here but by the time I had finished, I was love with not only the story but the genre as well. [continue reading…]