The older I become, the more I know this to be true: generosity is one of the most important traits for a writer (or person, for that matter) to have. Generosity serves a writer in many ways that spill over …
Writing Life
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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Goal Setting in the New Year
This year, I decided to set a large dollar number for my annual project sales goal. I am not sure I’ll be able to hit this goal, but I wanted to set a goal to push myself to greater heights. …
Should Writers Query Literary Agents During the Holidays?
One of the questions I see most in online spaces among writers is some iteration of, “Is it worth my time to query literary agents during the holidays—are they even reading queries?” I can’t speak for all literary agents, but …
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4 Reasons Writers Need a Writing Community
When I was in college, my favorite class was Creative Writing 101. The professor was one of my favorites, and her bohemian, free-flowing style of both living and teaching permeated every encounter I had with her. One of the reasons …
Five Questions I Ask After Reading a Query
Recently I held a “Pitch Me Day” on Threads, a day I created to give writers a chance to pitch their project in a low pressure way. If I “like” the pitch, they get to skip the query and send …
Five Practices for Becoming a Better Writer
Whether you’ve just started putting pen to paper or you’ve been writing for years, one truth remains constant: there’s always room to grow. Becoming a better writer isn’t about waiting for inspiration to strike—it’s about showing up consistently, pushing your …
A Writer’s Summer
As we roll into summer, I thought it might be nice to take a look at the many ways a writer can benefit from both the chaos and calm that the season has to offer. Being born and raised in …
Finding distraction-free time
I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of experience with distractions! I have had to find ways to work around mine and put them into their proper places and I have some tips to pass along to …
Inside the Mind of a New Agent
For many aspiring authors, the path to obtaining representation by a literary agent feels elusive and shrouded in mystery. What makes an agent ask for a proposal, and after that, a full manuscript? Why would an agent stop reading all …