Meet Yvonne

My Writing Journey

Ever since I was a kid with dorky bangs and a propensity to read books, I dreamed of writing a novel. When I was 23, I decided to give it my first honest go. At the end of 30 days, I had written a 50,000-word manuscript a la Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month). 

The story had no plot, no antagonist, random cows, ferret smugglers, and a toga-wearing ghost who’d faked his own death. The main character landed himself in prison for accidentally trafficking in Godiva chocolate.

Let’s just say this: the only place to go from there was up.

Learning how to structure a novel, how to write good dialogue, how and when to reveal which elements of the story, and how to write in a way that communicates clearly has been a delicious and continual challenge over the past 15+ years. I’ve come a loooong way! So much so that I now help other writers refine their books as a developmental editor.

Visit the For Writers page for more insight into my writing process, what I’ve learned over the years, and everything you need to know about making your manuscript awesome through developmental editing.

Where I’m at now: I’m currently working on getting my completed YA fantasy novel published. In it, a teen on the run must convince a sentient airborne train to help him escape the assassin who killed his dad.