Some authors choose to write discussion questions that will appear at the back of a book or be available on the writer’s website. Having written a slew of such questions and having been trained in writing curriculum, I have a …
Fiction
What it Means When an Agent Says Your Project Isn’t Ready
Among the common responses an agent may give a writer, is “Your project isn’t quite ready yet. Keep working to make it the best it can be.” The writer inevitably is left feeling frustrated, and maybe a little lost. What …
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Imposter Syndrome in the Life of a Writer
By the time most writers get an agent or a book deal, they have put in much time and effort. It feels like crossing a marathon finish line: breathless, exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time. I DID IT, the …
Looking for Something to Read?
If you’re on the hunt for something to read, I have recommendations.
In my first blog post in a new year, as has been my tradition for I don’t-know-how-long, I review the best of the best from my reading the …
Inbox Insights: What Makes an Effective Lead Magnet?
There are lots of questions I’m often asked as a literary agent- and some I’m not asked, but writers ask themselves (and their friends). One of those questions is “Do I really need a newsletter and an email list?” The …
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Some of my Favorite Fiction Techniques
Today I’m just going to highlight a few fiction techniques I love finding in a manuscript.
Beats
This is a technique the author uses to seamlessly substitute an action that identifies the character in place of the tired old he-said, …
Ten Things that Make a Thumbs-Up Novel
Today, I’ve decided on a very subjective exploration about what makes me give a novel an unflinching thumbs up. This is not a blog that represents anyone’s taste but mine. Purely personal. I’m guessing there wouldn’t be another literary agent …
Creating Your Own Style Sheet
I was recently talking to Brittany Stonestreet, a friend who is finishing up her Masters in Publishing at the prestigious Emerson College in Boston. She mentioned she was just completing the style sheet for her newest YA novel. I
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Avoid Character Labels
I read a fiction manuscript last week that described a character as a cripple. I winced when I read the word and stopped to think about why I had such an immediate revulsion. After all, it was historical fiction and …
Let’s Talk about Our Favorite Read–2022
Here go, skipping off into a brand new year. But before we travel too far into 2023, I’m continuing my tradition of my first blog post each year being a retrospective of the books I dwelled within the year before.…