Writing Tips

Writing (And Working) While Pregnant: Second Trimester

Writing and working while pregnant can be a lot! Here's how I managed.

Writing Tips

Writing (And Working) While Pregnant: First Trimester 

I'm pregnant! And working full-time. And writing novels. It's a lot to manage. Here's how I'm coping (and continuing to follow the dream).

Publishing Advice

Researching Literary Agents in 2022

As promised in my last post - Writing a Great One-Line Pitch for Your 2022 Query Letter - I wanted to talk about researching literary agents in 2022. Granted, I am going to start with the caveat that I only have experience querying kidlit books. More specifically YA/MG, contemporary and fantasy. So that’s where this post… Continue reading Researching Literary Agents in 2022

Publishing Advice

The Difference Between Querying in 2019 and 2022, and Why Your Well-Intentioned Advice May Be Doing More Harm Than Good.

When I signed with my first agent, it was 2019. I’d queried two manuscripts by then between 2017-2019. In 2021, my agent left the industry. I took some time off, then wrote the book of my heart, and now I’m back in the query trenches for the first time in three years. As an author… Continue reading The Difference Between Querying in 2019 and 2022, and Why Your Well-Intentioned Advice May Be Doing More Harm Than Good.

Miscellaneous

Publishing Questions I Ask Myself Before I Start Writing a Book

Publishing is hard. We all know that. What makes it harder is bad timing and unclear focus. It’s easy to get lost in the art of writing long before you consider the business of writing, but at the end of the day, publishing is a business. You should have your business plan in mind before… Continue reading Publishing Questions I Ask Myself Before I Start Writing a Book

Miscellaneous

February Writing Journey Wrap-Up

Every month, I write a writing journey wrap-up post. It includes how many words I’ve written, what I’m working on, my wins, my losses, and other miscellaneous facts you may find interesting.  First up this February, I wanted to congratulate our Pitch Wars 2020 mentee, Miranda Sun! She announced her six-figure, two-book deal with HarperCollins… Continue reading February Writing Journey Wrap-Up

Publishing Advice

I Almost Self-Rejected Myself Out of a Publishing Opportunity

Last month, you may have noticed my blog post - Yes, Writers Need to Hear the Hard Truths. But Warnings Can Go Too Far. - go up on Jane Friedman’s website. I was absolutely thrilled by this. I’m a long-time fan of Jane’s blog and book, The Business of Being a Writer. I also regularly attend… Continue reading I Almost Self-Rejected Myself Out of a Publishing Opportunity

Miscellaneous · Writing Tips

The Truth About Giving Up on Writing

Have you ever considered giving up on writing? I know I have.  Though I’ve been writing stories as long as I can remember, I consider myself as having two true starts.  1) When I was eleven, my mom died unexpectedly, and I told myself that day I would spend my life pursuing my dreams, no… Continue reading The Truth About Giving Up on Writing

Miscellaneous

2021: The Year of Dramatic, Unfinished Change

Every year, I take time to reflect on where I am, where I’ve been, and where I’m going. Last year was deemed The Strangest Writing Year (Hopefully?), and this year, I’ve decided to call it The Year of Dramatic, Unfinished Change. (Though, that may be too dramatic in itself.) Onto why that is (and also… Continue reading 2021: The Year of Dramatic, Unfinished Change

Miscellaneous

An Ode to My Laptop

My trusted laptop since 2014 died the other week. I know that may not sound like a big deal, but for me, it was like letting go of an old friend. You see, writers spend an extraordinary amount of time on their computers. There are very few days in the year that I don’t use… Continue reading An Ode to My Laptop