Oh, the query trenches. Even if you haven't entered the battlefield of querying, you've likely heard the rumors: it's not fun. For those who don't know, a query is a pitch letter that gives a high-level overview of your manuscript. Typically, they're sent to a literary agent or agency. Best case scenario: you pique the …
Continue reading I Did Everything Wrong While Querying So You Don’t Have To
There are a lot of shitty things about being a writer. I don’t know how to say that more eloquently. There is literally no better word. It’s shit. It’s shitty how high the odds are stacked against us. It’s shitty that your first rejection letter is a rite of passage. (How many times have we heard people tweet, “Got my first …
A few times per week, I offer unsolicited writing advice to anyone who will listen. Sometimes, I even follow it myself. I have a shameful confession: I used to think writing was a solo career. In my younger years, when I was still getting my feet wet with fiction, I was a little arrogant about …
Hi, my name is Sarah, and I am a 7. A 7 wing 8 to be exact. I constantly seek satisfaction, variety, and, most importantly, fun! But, because I have a wing in "The Challenger" and, therefore, no patience, I need to have fun, like, right now. The day I first took the Enneagram test …
Continue reading How I Used the Enneagram to Develop My Book Characters
A few times per week, I offer unsolicited writing advice to anyone who will listen. Sometimes, I even follow it myself. When I was in college, I once had a creative writing workshop teacher kick off her semester by making a list of things we were not allowed to write about. She was a graduate …
Continue reading Writing Quick Tip #3 – No Topic is Off Limits
A few times per week, I offer unsolicited writing advice to anyone who will listen. Sometimes, I even follow it myself. If you ask me, 'Who is your favorite character in your novel, The Broken Haven?' you might be surprised to learn the answer. It's not my good-natured, modern day Alice-in-Wonderland, Eleanor, and it's not my dashing …
Continue reading Writing Quick Tip #2 – For the Love of Villains
Someone, somewhere, at some point in my life, once told me that it is possible to be a full-time writer and not starve. And once I heard that, there was no looking back. I want to thank this person. I also want to punch them, because now I am cursed. There's no convincing me that …
A few times per week, I offer unsolicited writing advice to anyone who will listen. Sometimes, I even follow it myself. Tip #1 - Score your book. No, I'm not suggesting you give it a rating from 1-10. Do a little digging on Spotify, or Amazon Music, or iTunes, or whatever your preferred streaming platform …
In the past few months, I think I've counted maybe thirteen different articles floating around the internet about how to treat introverts. Lists of reasons why introverts don't want to hang out with me, and what it is that introverts need in their lives, and how staying in on a Friday night is actually an …
Hi everyone! I'm doing a little shameless promoting for this blog post, but I think everyone will really enjoy! If you don't already know, my first novel was recently published by Lands Atlantic. It has been such an exciting journey. I thought it might be fun to share the first chapter on The Rough Draft! …
