Melanie Hooyenga

YA author dealing with anxiety one day at a time

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Being Brave by Trying Something New (to me)

I've sworn by this method and have told countless writers that you're more likely to finish a first draft this way than if you constantly edit as you write.

So far this year I’ve used this space to talk about my word of the year—brave— and trying a different way of plotting, and apparently I still have more to say on these topics. Whenever I talk about my writing process, I proudly tell people that after I outline, I start writing my book at page one and don’t stop until I hit The End. I don’t go back and edit, and I only reread the previous couple…

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Getting to Know Genalea Barker

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Genalea Barker! Genalea is an author, freelance editor, and full-time mom with an Associate’s Degree in English Literature. Her work has appeared in Bookends Review, Gemini Magazine, Grande Dame Literary, Watershed Review, Broad River Review, and others. She is the author of three novels, Life After, A Song I Used to Know, and Lovehurts, all…

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Being Brave

It’s that time of year when everyone with an opinion shares their thoughts about habits and resolutions and how this is the year they’re finally going to do the big thing they’ve always dreamed of doing. As I’ve never claimed to be a unique individual, here are my two cents. On New Year’s Eve, I chatted with newer friends and one of them asked if I’ve published three or four novels. “Nine?” I…

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Getting to Know Danielle Keil

Getting to Know Danielle Keil

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Danielle Keil! Danielle Keil grew up in the Chicagoland area. A recent transplant, she is enjoying the Mississippi life, especially the pool in her backyard. Danielle has been happily married for over 10 years, and has two young children, a daughter and a son, who are exact replicas of her and her husband. Danielle’s love language is gifts, her…

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Trying Something New

Trying Something New I'm a very organized writer, which won't surprise long-time followers of this blog, and my process has become more and more fine-tuned with each book.

I wrote my first novel in 2008, and since then, I’ve developed a process that works well for me: take frantic notes on initial idea organize notes into timeline turn timeline into outline (this is the first part in the computer) sketch out details about characters write! I’m a very organized writer, which won’t surprise long-time followers of this blog, and my process has become more and more…

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Getting to Know Jordan Ford

Getting to Know Jordan Ford

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Jordan Ford! I’m really excited for this interview! I’ve known Jordan through my writing circles for several years and I’ve always admired her books and all she has achieved. If you’ve never read her books, you definitely need to check her out! Jordan Ford is a young-adult romance author. She loves to write sweet romance novels filled with angst,…

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Chasing the Moon is Now Available!

Chasing the Moon is Now Available!

The Campfire Series is officially complete! Two best friends. One tiny tent. An attraction that’s impossible to ignore. Melody Being a semi-famous science tokker epically rocks because I get to make science accessible for girls. Until I make a mistake and a jerkface tokker ridicules me to his fans. I need to prove I’m not a hack before my followers bail and I ruin my credibility—all before I…

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Finding Conflict

Conflict and I do not get along. I’ve mastered the art of staying calm and rational if have a disagreement with someone, and I take pride in not saying anything I’ll regret later. At age 29, I cut myself off from my friend group because they weren’t the kind of people I wanted to hang out with. Gossipy, back-stabbing, accusing each other of fabricated hurts in drama-filled rants — all of it. Now…

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Getting to Know Rachel Huffmire

Getting to Know Rachel Huffmire

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Rachel Huffmire! Rachel Huffmire is an award winning author who writes refreshing retellings with twisty plots and happily ever afters. She lives with her husband, three children, and a library of books that is slowly overtaking their house. It’s not her fault, honest. When she’s not writing, Rachel enjoys baking apple pastries, taking long naps, and…

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Getting to Know Theresa Pocock

Getting to Know Theresa Pocock

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Theresa Pocock! Theresa has been writing for fifteen years and has more story ideas than she could possibly write and still have a life. She is an avid audible ‘reader’, boardgame lover, Zelda player, book collector, adventure chaser, and history ‘studier’, besides being a mother of three, a musician and a homeschooler. Also in her life are two…

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Getting to Know Cori Cooper

Getting to Know Cori Cooper

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Cori Cooper! Cori Cooper lives in the magical Arizona Mountains, which she’s pretty convinced is the setting for all the fairy tales. Besides writing stories, she adores hanging out with her family, playing board games, hiking and baking, baking, baking. Like Cat’s family, she’s positive Cinnamon Rolls fix everything. Tell us about your book! My…

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Introducing The Book of Good: Pride

Introducing The Book of Good: Pride. I'm donating $1 of every sale to Out on the Lakeshore, who supports the LGBTQ community.

I first published my gratitude journal, the Book of Good, in the hopes that it would help people reclaim the small moments of joy in their lives. In the two years since it first came out, I’ve heard from countless people how focusing on the good in each day and tuning out the negativity, even if just for a short time, has helped them cope with everything going on in their lives and in the…

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Getting to Know Ruth Mitchell

Getting to Know Ruth Mitchell

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Ruth Mitchell! Ruth Mitchell is a novelist, champion party planner, and aspiring star baker. When she is not writing she can be found spending time with her family, which often includes hiking and exploring the natural beauty of Southern California. Tell us about your book! DELETED is an award-winning YA thriller Three things happen when technophobe…

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Use Your Words

My brain is constantly jumping from one thing to the next, the tangents leading from one train of thought to the next lightning-quick. I pride myself for being able to make connections in others’ conversations long before they get to the point, and I often get frustrated if I feel like someone is taking too long to get to that point. Yes, this is partially what leads me to interrupt people a lot…

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Getting to Know Gabi Justice

Getting to Know Gabi Justice

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Gabi Justice! Gabi Justice lives in Florida with her husband and children. You’d be hard-pressed to find a tennis court in the state that she hasn’t visited, having three competitive junior players in the family. She is the mom to three dogs and one stray cat. She spent most of her adult life writing editorial copy for local magazines after…

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Showing 'Gratitude' by Supporting Mental Health

Showing ‘Gratitude’ by Supporting Mental Health

I don’t think it’s any secret that I’ve struggled with my mental health throughout my adult years (and probably younger than that if we’re being honest here). I created The Book of Good, a guided journal for people who want to find the good in each day, after using the techniques on my own. Read: The origin story. And the announcement of the published journals. Appropriate for all ages—from…

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Getting to Know Dallas Woodburn

Getting to Know Dallas Woodburn

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Dallas Woodburn! Dallas Woodburn’s debut novel The Best Week That Never Happened was the Grand Prize Winner of the Dante Rossetti Book Award for Young Adult Fiction. She is also the author of the YA novel Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life and the short story collections Woman, Running Late, in a Dress and How to Make Paper When the World is…

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