BKVogt

About BKVogt

I believe "'God's best is often behind the doors marked 'Never.'" A bout of burnout lured me to the Dark Side and now this avowed non-fiction gal loves fiction — and is a published novelist! I'm also affectionately known as The Evil Editor (TEE) and believe good editing is an art form -- but rewriting is essential.

Author Archive | BKVogt

The Reason We Write

By on July 31, 2014 in 4. Writer’s Life, Inspiration and Life Coaching, Beth Vogt, Editing Basics, How do I write Emotions?, Writer's life

My friend, Lori, posted this quote on my Facebook page last week:

“We write to taste life twice.” ~Anais Nin, author

I think she posted the quote for two reasons:

I love quotes. Love, love, love them.
I am a writer who often wrestles with the why of writing. You know what I mean: Why do we willingly do all of this? The writing. The rewriting. The deadlines.
I think my friend read that quote and thought, “Beth will ‘get’ this.”

And I did.

But I did more than read the quote and think, “Good one.” I pondered the quote for a day or two … until it became this blog post.

Read the Rest
Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

Two Tips to Get Past “I Can’t Write”

By on July 17, 2014 in 4. Writer’s Life, Inspiration and Life Coaching, Beth Vogt, Writing Life

I’m on deadline.

What that means is, writing is mandatory for me. I have a title for my manuscript. A word count. Most importantly, I have a due date. And yes, barring some unforseen catastrophe such as an alien invasion or Godzilla rampaging through Colorado Springs, I will meet my deadline. (I am not thinking about any real disasters that can happen to writers everywhere.)
But let me honest with you: there are days I don’t feel like writing.

I write anyway.

Read the Rest
Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

When It is Time to Rewrite: 4 Steps to Improve Your Manuscript

By on July 3, 2014 in Beth Vogt, From the Inside...Out, Rewriting

My fourth novel, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, is due to my editor on August 1. Yes, I am aware that is a mere 29 days away. No, I am not counting hours or minutes — yet.

With my fast draft in hand … well, spread all over my desk and sometimes all over the coffee table in the family room … I am ready for rewrites.

Yes, yes, I am.

First things first: there are certain things I don’t do when I am this close to deadline and deep into rewriting.

I do not clean my house.
I do not cook.
Hmmm. Reality is, I don’t clean my house or cook that much when I’m off deadline. I’m just being honest here. When I’m off deadline, I’m plotting a new novel or I’m dealing with second round edits or galleys . . . or something! I’m thankful my husband loves me.

Read the Rest
Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }

Use FOCUS to craft vivid scenes

By on June 19, 2014 in b. Building a Scene, What is Storyworld, and how do I write it?

I went to my first My Book Therapy (MBT) retreat in 2009 – the first-ever Storycrafters Retreat. I’m four years further along the writing road, on deadline for my fourth novel, and I often review things I learned at back then. One of my favorite MBT techniques is FOCUS, an acronym that helps you craft vivid scene descriptions.
FOCUS stands for:

First Impressions

Observations

Close Up

Simile (or Metaphor)

Read the Rest
Continue Reading • Comments { 0 }
MBT Menu