Many authors are familiar with the “Golden Rule of Writing”: In order to be a good writer, you should also be a good reader.  But I’ve recently spent some time on writing forums and Reddit threads where other writers have challenged this idea.  Comments typically vary based on personal experience and style.  Some people agree, others don’t.  While I respect other writers’ personal experiences and styles, my position has never...

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” – Terry Pratchett Congratulations! You’ve written your first draft, put it out of your mind for a few weeks (or months) and are prepared to dive back into edits. You’ve got your colored pens or highlighters at the ready; your characters eagerly await your return. But where to start? Every writer has a different process, and they should! None of our...

So you’ve finally finished that manuscript, congratulations! Now it’s time to turn that story crafted from months of blood, sweat, and tears (and love, of course) into a book on the shelves, but where to even start? If you’re pursuing the traditional publishing route, the first step is to find yourself an agent who loves your story as much as you do. In order to land an agent, however, you...

As writers, we spend months—even years—within the pages of our story, and it can be lonely. But it doesn’t have to be. Throughout the years, I’ve leaned into my writing community to inspire me and keep me motivated.  I’m the writer who loves going to conferences and writing retreats with my friends to escape the daily distractions of life. This year has been especially hard, but it’s also given me...

Welcome to the second of my two-part series of tips for querying literary agents! If you haven’t read the first part, take a gander (so we’re all on the same page): Tips for Querying Literary Agents (Part 1). For debut writers looking to be traditionally published, querying literary agents is a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute you can feel on top of the world and the next could be crushing devastation....

“God save us from vague generalizations!” These words from Anton Chekhov speak to the enemy of great art: a lack of specificity. When we think of great writers, we often think what makes them great is the ability to turn a general concept into something distinct. You can’t read Stephen King without being struck by his descriptions and the voices of his characters. Take this short excerpt from The Stand: “He...

I’m just starting to get back to writing after a dry spell that lasted over a decade. I did write occasionally during that period of time, but I’m finding that I have a renewed sense of purpose and drive that I didn’t have before.  Because I interact with many writers, I have a feeling that more than one person reading this right now is either experiencing their own dry spell...

Querying literary agents is an exciting, nerve-wracking process for debut writers looking to be traditionally published. At times it’s also complex and down-right confusing, which is why I’ve put together some tips for querying literary agents that I’ve learned through personal experience. On July 25, 2019, I sent my first-ever query for the first book I’d ever written. I was positive it would sign in a heartbeat. Five months later, I received...