Missy Kirtleys Blog

After the San Francisco Writer’s Conference of 2015, I’ve decided to take my writing more seriously. It’s my career, after all. And I’m convinced now, after the events of the weekend, that I can actually do this. I’m talented, and enthusiastic, and I have the support that I need. I just have to remember to lean on those around me who want to support me, and keep myself motivated, invested, and on task. My first resolution is to finish TWO…

It was such an honor and a pleasure to meet Teresa LeYung Ryan at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference yesterday.  She gave me great feedback on my work!  If there are any other writers out there who have a chance to come to the SFWC, I highly recommend it.  I will definitely be here next year.  Such a wonderful experience! Teresa has been supportive and encouraging, enthusiastic, and has pushed me to try things I might not normally do.  Here’s…

Brand new blog!  Are you excited for me?  I am! 🙂 So, I’m going to be importing all of my old blog posts, but it’ll probably take a little time.  Thank you for your patience while I transition to the new site! Missy

Okay, so I’m not the only one who noticed that Marvel has a serious problem.  I guess… [insert something here about the decade in which the company was born?]  Maybe Marvel hasn’t gotten with the times yet.  (By the way, it’s 2015 now. Girls want superhero action figures/role models/etc. just as much as boys do.  Trust me, I’m a parent of young girls.  I’ve got my finger on the pulse of what makes 5 year old girls tick.) Oh, you…

I was listening to the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast (which is absolutely AWESOME, by the way, if you haven’t started listening to it, you absolutely should) and in their interview with Hugh Howey, which is Podcast #83, they discussed how Hugh Howey’s book, Wool. (Available on Amazon and other fine retailers.) I haven’t read the book.  Yet.  I hear it’s wonderful, and it’s on my to-do list not only because of the great reviews and my desire to…

(In which I rant, admittedly likely unfoundedly, about people using “page number” when we should all switch to “word count”…) I found an article this morning called The 10 Best Books Shorter than 150 Pages by Sarah Gerard.  While the article is informative and interesting (and gave me a few more books to add to my every growing ‘Need to read again’ list), I can’t help but nitpick on one point.  Why is it that we use the archaic “page count”…

I went to the meeting of the Berkeley Branch of the California Writer’s Club today in Oakland.  It was a grand adventure with my girl friend.  We took the BART, which is always an adventure, and walked a half mile from the Lake Merritt Station to the Oakland Library.  The journey was relatively uneventful; there were no strangers cursing at me on the BART, which has happened in the past.  We were only asked for money a half dozen times…